Cavernous sinus metastasis in head and neck cancer: Focus on oral squamous cell cancer.

Intracranial metastatic disease is rarely found in head and neck cancer (HNC), in particular, cavernous sinus (CS) involvement is difficult to recognize, because of its rarity, not specific symptoms associated and challenging imaging features. We report our experience in 4 cases, reviewing also the English literature. We analysed data from 21 patients showing that CS metastasis is a dramatic event, with rapid onset, usually starting with neurological manifestations (ophthalmoplegia, headache and trigeminal dysesthesia) and almost unavoidable outcome (DOD in 18/21 patients). Furthermore, we assessed that the diagnostic confirmation could be difficult to perform because of the need for multiple exams and time consuming procedures. Unfortunately, usual antineoplastic therapies seem to be not effective in prolonging survival, also because patients are already weakened by primary tumour treatments. The only option that seems useful in improving outcomes is immunotherapy.

Ancient and historic steel in Japan, India and Europe, a non-invasive comparative study using thermal neutron diffraction.

The production and refinement of steel has followed very different paths in different parts of the Eurasian continent. In aiming to characterize the similarities and differences between various smelting and smithing methods, we have analysed steel samples from four different areas and historic periods: the Koto Age in Japan (twelfth-sixteenth century), the Moghul Empire in India (seventeenth-nineteenth century), the Ottoman Turkish Empire (seventeenth century) and the late Middle Ages (fifteenth century) in Italy. The best quality steel was employed for forging arms and armour of high quality, so that we have selected samples from Japan, India, the Middle East and Italy belonging to such a category. Traditional methods, such as metallography, used to characterize different steels in terms of their carbon contents, microconstituents and slag inclusions, entailed an invasive approach. Since many of the selected artefacts are in a very good state of conservation, a different and non-invasive approach was desirable. To this aim, we have used time of flight neutron diffraction on the Italian Neutron Experimental Station diffractometer, located at the pulsed neutron source ISIS in the United Kingdom. By this technique, we were able to quantify the phase distribution of the metal phases, the slag inclusion content, and the oxidation state of the samples, both as average concentration on the whole artefact and in selected gauge volumes. The results of the present investigation offer an interesting picture of the steel metallurgy in different areas of the world.

Neutron diffraction characterization of Japanese artworks of Tokugawa age.

Neutron time-of-flight diffraction technique has been used to characterize some Japanese historical artifacts. With this method, metal samples can be analyzed in their bulk properties without need of sampling. Results shown here were obtained at the Italian Neutron Experimental Station (INES@ISIS) located at the pulsed neutron source ISIS (UK). The parallel use of a scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence device (SEM-EDX) permitted a full quantitative characterization of the investigated samples, namely four hand-guards (Tsubas) of Japanese swords attributed to the Tokugawa age. In particular, we were able to obtain, in a totally non-invasive non-destructive way, a full quantitative phase characterization of the samples, a detailed Bragg peak broadening analysis, and a quantitative texture determination. These results, complemented with those obtained via the traditional analysis method of SEM-EDX, allowed a full characterization of both the bulk and the surface of the artifacts.