Endocavitary sonography of early oral cavity malignant tumors

Background: Preoperative staging is crucial for oral cancer management. The purpose of this study was to assess the tumor thickness using ultrasound and to correlate the level of histological infiltration with the tumor superficial extension and lesion thickness. Methods: Thirty-two subjects affected by oral cavity carcinoma were prospectively evaluated with intraoral ultrasound. The ultrasound sensitivity, the correlation between the ultrasound level of infiltration, and lesion diameters and thickness were assessed. Results: A 91% ultrasound sensitivity was found with no significant correlation between tumor diameter and level of histological infiltration (P >.05). A thickness of <2 mm was associated to tumor extension to the lamina propria, a value of >6 mm to muscular layer infiltration. Lymph adenopathies were identified in 21% of cases, associated to muscular layer infiltration in all cases. Conclusion: In the study of early oral cavity tumors, ultrasound is accurate for demonstrating the level of tumor infiltration and contributes to the therapeutic choice.