An episode of acute upper airway obstruction was caused by a lingual haematoma, when a patient with end stage renal failure suffered a hypocalcaemic fit and bit his tongue. The large haematoma and profuse bleeding caused the patient to obstruct and become hypoxic, and rendered laryngoscopy and intubation impossible, requiring an urgent tracheostomy to secure the airway.
Fifty patients with temporomandibular pain dysfunction syndrome were examined. Seventy-eight percent and 32 percent were female and male respectively. The white collar workers were more frequently affected. Emotional stress, dental malocclusion and a history of trauma were the main causes. Treatment consists of reassurance, relaxed jaw movements and exercises, anxiolytic drugs, thermotherapy, biting appliance, occlusal adjustments and restoration of lost dental units.
A 51-year old man presented with a persistent tongue ulcer, fever, cervical lymphadenopathy and hepatomegaly. The diagnosis was initially thought to be tuberculosis. This led to the initiation of antituberculous chemotherapy to which the patient failed to respond. The correct diagnosis of histoplasmosis was made after the detection of Histoplasma capsulatum on further review of the tongue ulcer biopsy specimen. He responded to treatment with amphotericin B.