Intraoral ultrasonography: an adjunct in oral onco-surgery

Objective

To determine the precision and accuracy of intraoral sonography in assessing the depth of invasion in oral cancer.

Material and methods

A prospective study was conducted in 30 cases of oral cancer. Subjects were subjected to computerised tomography and intraoral sonography before surgery. The depth of invasion assessed through clinical palpation and radiological tools was compared with surgical histopathology.

Results

The depth of invasion assessed on clinical palpation and computerized tomography had statistically significant difference with histopathology whereas intraoral sonography didn’t show any difference. The intraoral sonography and computerised tomography had comparable precision and accuracy, with a slight dominance of the computerised tomography in assessing the tumor's depth of invasion greater than 4 mm. However, intraoral sonography was more precise and accurate than computerised tomography in assessing the depth of invasion beyond 10 mm.

Conclusion

Intraoral sonography was found to be a reliable tool in the assessment of the depth of invasion in oral cancer. It can prove beneficial during surgery in achieving tumour-free surgical margins.