Mr.Haroon Khan welcomed the delegates and introduced the first speaker; Mr.A.Janjua, Consultant ENT Surgeon, Heartlands University Teaching Hospital, Birmingham who spoke on the aetiology, diagnosis and management of cholesteatomas in children. He explained that cholestatomas in children behave differently and it is important to do a CT scan if one suspects a cholesteatoma. He discussed the merits of open and closed cavities and need for second look in some cases.

The next speaker was Mr.Saleem Yousef, Consultant ENT, St.Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals who gave an update on Snoring and Sleep Apnoea. He talked about WatchPAT an ambulatory home sleep testing device which gives diagnosis of Sleep Related Breathing Disorders. WatchPAT monitors changes in peripheral arterial tone and activity, as well as blood oxygen saturation levels. It also identifies sleep apnea events. The device is typically worn on the patient's wrist and has a non-invasive fingermounted probe to measure signals that indicate changes in the autonomic nervous system.

He was followed by Dr.Salman Qureshi, Consultant Radiologist Head and Neck/Neuroradiology, University Hospital of South Manchester who explained about "MRI Sequences - what do they mean?" He explained to ENT colleagues what are the reasons for MRI sequences and the various types. There are two main sequence families, depending on the type of echo recorded:

• Spin echo sequences
• Gradient echo sequences

Mr.S.Akhtar of Dow University, Karachi spoke on Cochlear Implant Programme in Pakistan. He and another colleague from Dow University were sponsored by ENT Society and spent 5 months mainly at London Teaching Hospitals and in Manchester. They learnt about audiology and speech assessments and rehabilitation for Cochlear Implant patients.

The meeting was sponsored by Neilmed Pharmaceuticals and the delegates enjoyed a delicious meal at the end. The next meeting was planned for next summer in Birmingham.