Analysis of tongue squamous cell carcinoma with Doppler sonography and strain elastography using intraoral ultrasonography

Abstract

Background: Depth of invasion (DOI) in oral carcinoma has been integrated into the primary tumor categories in the current tumor-node metastasis staging, and intraoral ultrasonography provides sufficient accuracy for the measurement of tumor DOI in oral tongue carcinoma. Aims: The objectives of this study were to analyze the tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with Doppler sonography and strain elastography using intraoral ultrasonography. Materials and Methods: Six patients with tongue SCC who underwent Doppler sonography and strain elastography using intraoral ultrasonography were prospectively included. Doppler sonography and strain elastography using intraoral ultrasonography were obtained with a linear 14 MHz transducer using our protocol. The tumor thickness using ultrasonography and tumor with/without vascular signals were evaluated by the Mann–Whitney U-test. The relationship between tumor thickness using ultrasonography and pathological tumor thickness and DOI was assessed by the Pearson's rank correlation test. P values lower than 0.05 indicate statistically significant differences. Results: The tumor thickness using ultrasonography in the vascular signal's presence group (5.8 ± 1.4 mm) was larger than that of the absence group (3.1 ± 1.5 mm, P = 0.050). The strain values of tumor and control in the tongue SCC were 0% and 0.534% ± 0.236%, respectively. Tumor thickness using ultrasonography was correlated with pathological tumor thickness (r = 0.811, P = 0.050) and pathological DOI (r = 0.599, P = 0.209), respectively. Conclusions: Doppler sonography and strain elastography using intraoral ultrasonography are useful for the analysis of tongue SCC.