RETROSPECTIVE EVALUATION OF RADIOLOGICAL FINDINGS IN PATIENTS WITH ORAL MALIGNANCY

Abstract

Aim: Oral cancer ranks among the most prevalent cancers worldwide. Imaging methods play a vital role in assessing patients. This study aimed to evaluate the age, sex, and localization distribution as well as panoramic and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) image findings in patients with oral malignancy with bone involvement. 
 Materials and Method: Patients who were histopathologically diagnosed with malignant oral lesions at Gazi University, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Oral Pathology between 2009 and 2023 were reviewed. Patients with oral malignancies whose panoramic images or CBCT images were available in the radiology archive were included in this study. Age-sex distribution was recorded. Localization of lesions and radiological features such as internal structures, borders, and effects on surrounding tissues were evaluated.
 Results: The mean age of the patients was 58.2 years; nine of them were female and thirteen were male. The incidence of malignancies included in this study was higher in men than in women, and the mandible/maxilla ratio was equal. The most common primary tumor was squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (n=12). SCC lesions caused destruction in the cortical borders of neighboring structures in the region where they were located and showed the potential to spread toward these regions. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma was observed as an unilocular radiolucent lesion with clear borders, and it was determined that it destroyed the cortical bone.
 Conclusion: Panoramic radiography and CBCT images are valuable imaging methods in the evaluation of bone involvement of oral malignancies.