Congenital neoplasms of the nose are rare.They have been divided into three groups: 18 1 ) tumors of neurogenic origin, 2) tumors of ectodermal origin (dermoid cysts) and 3) tumors of mesodermic origin (hemangiomas).Out of these, the neurogenic ones form an interesting group of tumors because of the controversy regarding the origin of the neurogenic element. The two cases reported here are unusual and interesting because in addition to mature neuroglial tissue they also show the presence of striated muscle fibers.REPORT OF CASES CASE 1. A female child aged three years was admitted with a polypoidal growth arising from the septum of the nose since birth. The growth had gradually increased in size. A clinical diagnosis of septal dermoid was made and the tumor was excised. The specimen consisted of three pieces of tissues each measuring nearly one centimeter in diameter, firm and greyish in color. The cut surface was uniformly grey, moist and gelatinous in places.Histological examination showed the tumor to be composed mainly of fibrous and glial tissue. Large islands of glial tissue were separated by fibrous septa. The glial tissue was almost entirely com posed of astrocytes with a fine fibrillar matrix resembling normal nerve tissue (Fig. 1). The astrocytes were mainly pilocytic but at places larger cells with 3 to 4 nuclei resembling the gamestocytic astro cytes were also seen. Groups of small round cells which imperceptibly mixed with the surrounding neuroglial and fibrous tissue were noticed. These small cells had vacuolated cytoplasm, indistinct cell border and
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