SS of the head and neck is extremely rare, and our results should be viewed with caution given the relatively small group size and treatment over a 36-year period. Survival rates were associated with tumor location, size, and extension. Treatment of SS of the head and neck should be directed toward complete surgical resection. Given the known sensitivity of SS to contemporary chemotherapy, a multimodality approach should be considered in the perioperative setting, especially in high risk patients.

Quantification of photosensitizer concentration in tissue should improve planning and outcome of photodynamic therapy. Laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) can be used to measure in vivo fluorescence of photosensitizers in tissue. This study was designed to determine if in vivo fluorescence intensity of chloroaluminum phthalocyanine tetrasulfonate correlates with its concentration in different rat tissues. Following LIF measurements, the animals were humanely euthanized and the concentration of phthalocyanine in different tissues was determined using chemical extraction technique. The correlation of phthalocyanine fluorescence intensity and its concentration was determined for each tissue using Pearson product-moment correlation analysis. A strong correlation between in vivo phthalocyanine fluorescence intensity and its concentration was found for spleen, kidney, liver, and chemically induced mammary adenocarcinoma. Low correlation was found for thigh skin and planum of nose. No correlation was found for thigh muscle and tongue.

Intestinal polyposis syndromes, such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and Cowden's syndrome, are often associated with extraintestinal manifestations, and while many of these manifestations are benign, malignant extraintestinal manifestations, such as differentiated thyroid cancers, do occur. Although differentiated thyroid cancers (ie, papillary and follicular thyroid carcinomas) are associated with multiple syndromes, they are most commonly associated with intestinal polyposis syndromes. In the general population, the probability of developing thyroid cancer by age 65 years is only .5%. However, 1% to 2% of patients with FAP develop papillary thyroid carcinoma, the most common extraintestinal malignancy in patients with FAP. Also, up to 10% of patients with Cowden's syndrome will develop follicular thyroid carcinoma. The purpose of this review was to provide an overview of FAP, Cowden's syndrome, and Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, to discuss in detail the associations between intestinal polyposis syndromes and differentiated thyroid cancers, and to provide suggestions for screening and managing these diseases.