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Triozocera longipalpis n. sp. is described as the first species in this genus from Oman and the Middle East. This species is readily separated from other species of Triozocera due to its unusually long and curved maxillary palp. Mengenilla arabica is reported for the first time from Oman and was previously only known from two collections, one from Saudi Arabia and one from Kuwait.

BackgroundPatulous Eustachian tube is a benign but notoriously difficult condition to treat successfully. Symptoms include autophony of voice and breathing, and aural fullness.MethodsThis paper presents a series of 8 patients (12 ears) for whom a novel computed tomography guided injection of silicone elastomer suspension implant (Vox) was used to treat patulous Eustachian tube. This is the largest and only series in the current literature using this technique.ResultsThe combined complete and partial symptom resolution rate was 91 per cent. Complications related to the procedure are described. The pros and cons of this novel approach are also discussed in relation to traditional endoscopic transnasal techniques.ConclusionComputed tomography guided injection of Vox for the treatment of patulous Eustachian tube is suggested to be a feasible alternative to endoscopic transnasal approaches, particularly for refractory cases.

Objective:We report a novel, computed tomography guided treatment for autophony associated with a patulous eustachian tube.Methods:Case report and literature review of the management of patulous eustachian tube.Results:A 36-year-old woman presented with disabling autophony. Otoscopic examination revealed a poorly mobile right tympanic membrane. High resolution temporal bone computed tomography excluded superior semicircular canal dehiscence. The patient was diagnosed with patulous eustachian tube but failed to achieve therapeutic benefit from conventional endoscopic placement of a silicone elastomer suspension implant adjacent to the eustachian tube. Subsequently, she underwent further silicone elastomer suspension implant placement via a trans-cutaneous, computed tomography guided approach. The patient achieved prompt symptomatic relief and remained symptom-free at six-month follow up.Conclusion:This is the first published description of treatment of patulous eustachian tube using a computed tomography guided, trans-cutaneous approach. It serves to highlight to otolaryngologists the fact that computed tomography guided treatment of patulous eustachian tube may control disabling symptoms in patients who have failed to respond to convention endoscopic management.

Radiologists rightly feel that imaging request forms should be completed correctly. Pathologists also require a minimum dataset to be completed on all histopathology requests. The breast screening radiologists and pathologists initiated an audit of wide-bore needle breast biopsy pathology request forms.

The quality of a breast-screening programme is measured not only by it's cancer detection rates (sensitivity), but also by it's recall rates and positive predictive values (specificity). False positive screens, which lead to assessments with benign outcomes, can cause psychological and physical morbidity in previously well women. In 1999 the Wiltshire breast-screening programme adopted a novel recall strategy whereby all films marked for recall are subject to consensus opinion--even women "recalled" by both original readers may be returned to routine screening. Since 1999 our recall rates have fallen from above to below the national averages (prevalent 7.2% and incident 3.0% in 2001/02). Specificity has increased over the same period such that approximately one in seven women assessed will be diagnosed with cancer. The consensus meetings provide a forum for teaching and are very popular with our film readers, who all report reduced levels of stress.

A case of infective endocarditis due to a strain of Streptococcus that demonstrated unusual nutritional requirements is reported. This strain was recognized as a nutritional variant because it could not be subcultured on certain routine primary plating and subculture media. The media-dependent recovery of this nutritionally variant Streptococcus is stressed, since media used routinely in some laboratories would result in this organism’s being missed. Variability of routine media in supporting the growth of this isolate is also demonstrated.