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Background A great challenge in nanomedicine, and more specifically in theranostics, is to improve the specificity and selectivity of nanomaterials towards target tissues or cells. The topical use of nanomedicines as adjuvants to systemic chemotherapy can significantly improve the survival of patients affected by localized carcinomas, reducing the side effects of traditional drugs and preventing local recurrences.Results Here we have used the Shiga toxin, to design a safe, high-affinity protein-ligand (ShTxB) to bind the globotriaosylceramide receptor (GB3) that is overexpressed on the surfaces of preneoplastic and malignant cancer cells in head and neck tumors. We find that ShTxB functionalized gold nanorods are efficiently retrotranslocated to the GB3 positive cell cytoplasms. After 3-10 minutes of laser radiation with a wavelength resonant with the AuNR longitudinal localized surface plasmon, the death of the targeted cancer cells is activated. Both preclinical models and patient biopsy cells show the non-cytotoxic nature of these functionalized nanoparticles prior to light activation and their treatment selectivity.Conclusions These results show how the topical use of nanomedicines targeted by natural ligands can represent an effective treatment for aggressive localized cancers, such as squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

The segment of the facial nerve (FN) between its emergence from the skull through the stylomastoid foramen and its bifurcation at the parotid area is referred to as the FN trunk (FNT). Injury to the facial nerve trunk is among the most undesirable outcomes following different otologic, plastic, maxillofacial, and neurosurgical procedures. These procedures frequently involve manipulation and isolation of this segment, and meticulous dissection should be practiced to avoid iatrogenic damage to the nerve. Identification and exposure of the FN trunk, however, may be difficult because it is surrounded by dense connective tissue. This dissection becomes even more difficult and risky when the normal anatomy is distorted.During a routine left conservative superficial parotidectomy of a Pleomorphic Adenoma in the superficial lobe of the left parotid gland, duplication of the FNT was encountered. The FNT after its exit through the stylomastoid foramen, split into 2 main divisions, which rejoined before its penetration into the parotid gland. To the best of our knowledge, this variation has not been previously reported.

Background Squamous epithelia of the head and neck undergo continuous cell renewal and are continuously exposed to mutagenic hazard, the main cause of cancer. How they maintain homeostasis upon cell cycle deregulation is unclear. Methods To elucidate how head and neck epithelia respond to cell cycle stress, we studied human keratinocytes from various locations (oral mucosa, tonsil, pharynx, larynx, and trachea). We made use of genotoxic or mitotic drugs (doxorubicin [DOXO], paclitaxel, and nocodazole), or chemical inhibitors of the mitotic checkpoint kinases, Aurora B and polo-like-1. We further tested the response to inactivation of p53, ectopic cyclin E, or to the chemical carcinogen 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA). Results All treatments provoked DNA damage or mitosis impairment and strikingly triggered squamous differentiation and polyploidization, resulting in irreversible loss of clonogenic capacity. Conclusion Keratinocytes from head and neck epithelia share a cell-autonomous squamous DNA damage-differentiation response that is common to the epidermis and might continuously protect them from cancer.

El quiste óseo aneurismático sólido es una lesión ósea benigna muy infrecuente de la que no existe consenso en relación a su origen etiopatogénico. Presenta características clínicas, radiológicas e histológicas inespecíficas, por lo que los estudios ultraestructurales son fundamentales para su diagnóstico y clasificación. El diagnóstico diferencial es extenso e incluye múltiples lesiones óseas como el granuloma reparativo de células gigantes e incluso tumores malignos como el osteosarcoma. El tratamiento de elección es la cirugía conservadora. La recidiva se debe fundamentalmente a la extirpación incompleta.Solid aneurysmal bone cyst is a rare benign bone lesion for which no consensus exists regarding its origin. It has nonspecific clinical, radiological and histological features so ultrastructural studies are essential for diagnosis and classification. The differential diagnosis is extensive and includes a variety of bone lesions, such as giant cell reparative granuloma, and even malignant tumors like osteosarcoma. The treatment of choice is conservative surgery. Recurrence is due mainly to incomplete resection.

Standard treatment of patients with T4b squamous cell head and neck cancer (T4b-SCHNC) is concomitant chemo-radiotherapy (CT-RT). Recent Phase III trials with Taxane containing induction chemotherapy (IC) suggest that IC could also play a role in this setting. The value of resecting the residual mass after IC and before RT is not yet clear in this context.We present the results of a retrospective analysis.Between 1984 and 2001, 113 patients (patients) with T4b-SCHNC were treated at our institution with IC. Four patients dead during IC and 57 patients achieved a complete or a90% partial response at primary and proceeded to definitive RT (or concomitant CT/RT). Surgical resection was reconsidered after IC and before RT in the other 52 patients. Surgery was performed in 13 of them: in 7 patients resection was R1, all of them had loco-regional progression (2 also developed systemic metastases) and median OS after surgery was 21 months, with no patient alive at 48 months. In the other 6 patients a R0 resection was performed: 3 of these patients had loco-regional relapses (1 also developed systemic metastases) and the other 3 patients remain alive and disease free 56, 62 and 72 months after surgery. Considering the 52 patients that achieved less than a 90% partial response at primary with IC, overall survival was equivalent when no Resection or an R1 resection was performed after IC (5 year OS 8 vs. 0%, lrk, p=0.74), but a statistically significant improvement in OS was observed when an R0 resection was obtained (5 years OS 50%, lrk, p=0.02).R0 resections after IC and before RT could indicate an improvement in OS in patients with T4b-SCHNC that obtain less than a 90% PR at primary after IC. We consider that this approach deserves further research in prospective clinical trials.

Resumen Paciente de 71 anos de edad, sin antecedentes clinicos de interes, valorada por una masa en el hemimaxilar superior izquierdo de 6 meses de evolucion. La tomografia computerizada y la resonancia magnetica mostraron una lesion de 7,7×6,9×4,7 cm en el seno maxilar izquierdo. La biopsia escisional confirmo el diagnostico de hemangioma.

We report the case of 71-year-old woman with no prior history who had a left maxillary mass for 6 months. Axial Tomography and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance revealed a lesion of 7.7x6.9x4.7cm in the left maxillary sinus. Excisional biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of haemangioma.

Aplasia of major salivary glands is a rare disorder with only a handful of cases reported in the literature. The cause of congenital absence of the salivary glands has not been determined, but it may be associated with ectodermal defects of the first and second branchial arches. Patients may be asymptomatic or may experience dysphagia, xerostomia, several periodontal disease, or multiple caries. There are few reports of patients with congenital gland aplasia with cleft lip and palate. We document the case of a 41-year-old patient with repaired unilateral cleft lip palate, bilateral submandibular gland aplasia, and compensatory hypertrophy of the sublingual glands. To the best of our knowledge, there are no previous reports that can be found in the literature with a combination of such findings.

We conducted a multicentric randomized phase II trial comparing 5-FU continuous infusion (PF) and cisplatin, UFT and vinorelbine (UFTVP) as induction chemotherapy (IC) in locally advanced squamous cell head and neck cancer (LA-SCHNC). Primary objective was complete response (CR) to IC and overall survival (OS) was a secondary objective. PF: cisplatin 100 mg/m2 i.v. Day 1 (D1) and 5-FU 1,000 mg/m2 per day i.v. continous infusion D1–D5, every 21 days. UFTVP: cisplatin 100 mg/m2 i.v. D1; UFT 200 mg/m2 per day p.o. D1–D21 and vinorelbine 25 mg/m2 i.v. D1 and D8, every 21 days. Four IC courses were planned in both arms. A total of 206 patients (pts) were included (PF/UFTVP: 99/107): oral cavity: 8%/10%, oropharynx: 20%/25%, hypopharynx: 17%/14%, larynx: 54%/50%. Stage (TNM, 2002): III: 41%/35%, IVA: 23%/27%, IVB: 35%/38%. Complete response to IC: PF:36%/UFTVP:31% (P: no significative (NS)). G 3–4 toxicity (PF/UFTVP): neutropenia: 52%/72%; febrile neutropenia: 3%/20% (P

The double headed mandible condyle is a rare alteration that is frequently diagnosticated as an incidental finding in a panoramic radiograph. The different theories about its etiology are explained in this article. Symptoms described with bifid condyles vary from case to case, but in most instances are absent. Computer tomography is the ideal imaging method to evaluate the condyle morphology and to role out any degenerative process to achieve the differential diagnosis. Treatment is conservative for symptomatic patients with TMJ disorders, surgical treatment is described in literature in TMJ ankylosis that develops in bifid condyles secondary to trauma.

Clear cell carcinoma (CCC) is a rare low-grade carcinoma that represents only 1% to 2% of all salivary glands tumors. The finding of a clear cell tumor in a parotid gland involves the necessity of differential diagnosis between primary clear cell parotid tumors and metastases, mainly from kidney. The biological behavior is not very aggressive and development, which is very slow, is usually asymptomatic and indeed, the tumor often reaches considerable dimensions before being diagnosed. The treatment of choice is the surgical excision. There are rare cases of local recurrence and distant metastases. The aim of this article is to report a primary CCC in the parotid gland that microscopically closely resembled a metastatic CCC of renal origin, making microscopic differentiation difficult.

ResumenEl quiste óseo aneurismático sólido es una lesión ósea benigna muy infrecuente de la que no existe consenso en relación a su origen etiopatogénico. Presenta características clínicas, radiológicas e histológicas inespecíficas, por lo que los estudios ultraestructurales son fundamentales para su diagnóstico y clasificación. El diagnóstico diferencial es extenso e incluye múltiples lesiones óseas como el granuloma reparativo de células gigantes e incluso tumores malignos como el osteosarcoma. El tratamiento de elección es la cirugía conservadora. La recidiva se debe fundamentalmente a la extirpación incompleta.AbstractSolid aneurysmal bone cyst is a rare benign bone lesion for which no consensus exists regarding its origin. It has nonspecific clinical, radiological and histological features so ultrastructural studies are essential for diagnosis and classification. The differential diagnosis is extensive and includes a variety of bone lesions, such as giant cell reparative granuloma, and even malignant tumors like osteosarcoma. The treatment of choice is conservative surgery. Recurrence is due mainly to incomplete resection.