Diagnosis of cancer of the tongue and oral floor using plain CT

Abstract

CT images of 18 patients, diagnosed squamous cell carcinomas of the tongue or oral floor, were analyzed to assess the clinical importance of plain CT for primary sites.
All cases were scanned on Somatom DR (Siemens) at the Department of Dental Radiology, Kyushu University Dental Hospital from 1985 to 1988.
Results were as follows:
1, As descriptions of primary tumors mainly depended on their size in soft tissue, plain CT was useful only for advanced cases (T3, T4).
2, For cancer of the oral floor and advanced cases of cancer of the tongue, plain CT was useful to evaluate the bone invasion, especially in cases of lingual cortex of the anterior mandible.