Both oral dryness and a disorder known as burning mouth syndrome are fairly common oral conditions, It has been estimated that in the United States more than 40 million people suffer from oral dryness and as many as 2.5 million people are afflicted with burning mouth syndrome. Both conditions are not diseases perse, but a group of complaints and symptoms which are caused by a w ide variety of different factors. An overview of the causes and treatment options is given. Special attention is paid to those clinical pictures which are of particular relevance to the field of otolaryngology.

Objective: To identify risk factor for hearing loss in children with meningitis and to determine the incidence of hearing loss in a group of children with confirmed meningitis Design: This was a prospective study conducted during the year 1999-2000, Setting: A secondary referral paediatrics hospital in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia. Patients and Methods: Children admitted to Children’s Solimania Hospital in Riyadh with the diagnosis of suspected meningitis were included in this study. The age range was from 7 days to 7 years. The diagnosis of acute meningitis was confirmed. Thirty eight of the children underwent audiological assessment using auditory brain-stem responses (ABR) and tympanometry. Results: A total of 74 children with an age range between 7 years were included in the study. Forty two were boys and 32 were girls. There were 38 children with proven bacterial meningitis. Hearing results showed profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in 5 of them, 4 with conductive hearing loss and one with mixed hearing loss. Four children died and 32 were found with viral meningitis and discharged with no hearing tests performed. The prevalence of (SNHL) was 13%. Conclusions: Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) developed during the early stages of bacterial meningitis. The hearing loss may become permanent. Early diagnosis of and prompt treatment may reduce the overall prevalence of SNHL.

Objectives: To determine the polysomnographic diagnoses of patients referred by otolaryngologists for overnight sleep studies and the accuracy of their clinical diagnoses. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the polysomnographic records of all patients referred to the sleep disorders center (SDC) by otolaryngologists with the clinical suspicion of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The studied group was compared to all patients referred by pulmonologists with the clinical suspicion of OSA, for overnight sleep studies within the same period. Results: Fifty-eighty patients were referred by otolaryngologists and 31 by pulmonologists. Otolaryngologist’s referrals represented 8% of the total referrals to the SDC during the study period. Patients referred by pulmonologists had more severe OSA compared to patients referred by otolaryngologists. Conclusions: Relatively small number of patients with the clinical suspicion of OSA were referred by otolaryngologists to the SDC. Future studies are needed to assess the knowledge and attitudes of otolaryngologists toward OSA and the importance of performing PSG for patients with suspected OSA.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to establish in King Fahd Military Medical Complex (KFMMC) a universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) programme and to determine the prevalence of hearing impairment in neonates delivered at our center. Materials and Methods: All neonates delivered normally or by cesarean section in KFMMC from i5 April to 15 September 2003 and either admitted to the Newborn Nursery (NN), Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU), or Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) were screened for hearing loss. The neonates delivered during the weekend were excluded from this study due to the fact that they were discharged before evaluation. Results: A total of 428 neonates were screened for hearing loss. The percentage of neonates found with normal hearing TEOAE screening was 69.6% and increased to 89% by diagnostic TEOAE then to 91.6% by screening ABR and lastly to 95.7% by diagnostic ABR. The prevalence of hearing loss in KFMMC was found to be 1.3%. Conclusion: The number of neonates with hearing loss is higher than the international record, which is 0.3%. TEOAE can be used successfully in UNHS.

Congenital stenosis of the internal auditory meatus is rare and only few cases have been reported. A case of unilateral congenital stenosis of the internal auditory meatus presenting as a long-standing severe sensorineural hearing loss without vestibular symptoms or facial weakness in a nine-year-old girl is reported. The diagnosis was evident on images obtained on computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. This is the first ever-documented case of its kind in The State of Kuwait.