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Objective quantitative measurements of nasal airway patency are badly known and used in clinical practice. However lot of difficulties may be overcame. The modern instruments have a good preciseness and the results are given with reproducibility. The authors sum up principal indications, wether medical or surgical, and insist on a necessary severe methodology.

This study completes a previous one in which the authors tested the electrogustometric threshold in 300 normal subjects used as controls. The collected datas has been computerized on a programable calculator according to a lognormal model. Comparison between the electrogustometric threshold in diabetic patients, ethylic ones and controls demonstrate that they are statistically different. More than a half of the diabetics and ethylics have abnormaly high electrogustometric thresholds. The responses have been studied as a function of the evolution of the disease, of the clinical form and of gravity. Diabete and chronic ethylism do not disturb the gustatic function at the same speed and with the same intensity: one year evolution is at least necessary for diabetics, and ten years for ethylics in order to detect abnormal electrogustometric thresholds. But if the action of ethylic intoxication is slower, it determines the most important gustometric deteriorations.

Neurinoma of the vagus is a rare disease (less than a hundred cases published) and even more exceptional when it develops in the carotid cervical sulcus. Indeed, nevous tumors of the neck are usually situated in a high position, in the lateo-pharyngeal space. Clinical diagnosis is difficult: a chronical enlarged lymph node is the usual suggestion. Nevertheless, two signs, albeit inconsistent are very important: cough and bradycardia on palpation of the tumefaction. Enucleation, when possible, is the best procedure for exeresis, leaving the recurrent fibers intact. But in most cases, the tumor cannot be separated from the nervous fibers and the vagus nerve must be severed at both ends. This results in definitive paralysis of the homolateral vocal cord. Microscopically, it is not always easy to distinguish between neurofibroma and schwannoma because both tumors share a common cytogenetic origin and many intermediary forms are found. Only electronic microscopy can solve litigious cases. The importance of this distinction is not only speculative, a schwannoma assumes a solitary course but a neurofibroma may belong to Recklinghausen's disease. Both schwannoma and the rare solitary neurofibroma of the cervical portion of the vagus nerve can be surgically removed, their prognosis is favorable. nervous tumors of the neck in Recklinghausen's Disease must not be operated on account of possible aggravation.

Suppurated maxillary sinusitis are frequent diseases. Diameatic puncture allows bacteriological investigations. Our results are positive in two thirds of cases. The bacterial flora is very varied, whose identification and antibiograms involve efficient treatment with daily washing and in situ antibiotherapy.