Takeshi Miyakura

Ultrasonography in the diagnosis of palatal tumors

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of ultrasonography for the preoperative evaluation of palatal salivary gland tumors. STUDY DESIGN Eleven surgically treated patients with salivary gland tumors of the palate were examined retrospectively. Intraoral ultrasonic scanning examinations were performed with a 10-MHz transducer. RESULTS The ultrasonographically well-delimited tumors had a complete capsule histologically, whereas the poorly delimited tumors had no capsule or only an incomplete capsule. The tumors that had a reinforced posterior wall echo were associated with pressure bone absorption, and the tumors that had a reinforced posterior echo were associated with bone destruction. Echograms of the tumors were classified into 4 types on the basis of the internal echoes. CONCLUSIONS Intraoral ultrasonography of palatal tumors can be used to determine the localization and condition of the tumors by close analysis of the echogram. The internal echo pattern on the ultrasonogram of a palatal tumor was found to reflect the pathologic structure of the tumor. Ultrasonography can therefore be a quite useful technique for the preoperative evaluation of palatal salivary gland tumors.

Correlation between tumor consistency and cervical metastasis in tongue carcinoma

The purpose of this study was to assess the correlation between the tumor consistency and cervical lymph node metastasis in tongue carcinoma.

Quantitative evaluation of consistency of early invasive carcinoma of the tongue

AbstractBackground. This study quantitatively evaluated the consistency of early invasive carcinoma of the tongue to enable the early detection of tongue cancer. Methods. The study population comprised 18 patients with early invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, 8 with lichen planus, 27 with leukoplakia, and 56 with advanced squamous cell carcinoma. All patients were examined with an instrument that measured consistency as a function of the load (in grams) needed to displace tongue mucosa by 2.0 mm, with a probe 2.0 mm in diameter. The consistency of early invasive carcinoma was compared with the consistency of normal mucosa and the consistency of the other tongue disease lesions. Consistency was also analyzed in relation to lesion size (diameter), clinical type, and histologic characteristics (grade of keratinization in the surface keratinized layer, degree of lymphoplasmacytic infiltration, and tumor thickness). Results. The mean values for the consistency of early invasive carcinoma, normal mucosa, lichen planus, leukoplakia, and advanced carcinoma lesions were 11.6 ± 2.3, 4.9 ± 0.7, 5.1 ± 0.4, 8.3 ± 2.0, and 25.4 ± 8.5 g, respectively. Early invasive carcinoma was firmer than normal mucosa (P < 0.001), lichen planus (P = 0.017), and leukoplakia (P = 0.087). Advanced carcinoma was firmer than early invasive carcinoma (P < 0.001). In early invasive carcinoma, tumors more than 1-mm-thick were significantly firmer than those less than 1-mm-thick (P = 0.013). Conclusions. This study demonstrated differences in consistency between early invasive carcinoma of the tongue and the lesions of other tongue diseases. Preoperative quantification of tumor consistency by this method could be helpful for the clinical diagnosis of early carcinoma of the tongue.

Ultrasonic study of schwannoma of the oral and maxillofacial region: Comparison of ultrasonograms and pathologic findings

Ultrasonographic study of a schwannoma of the oral and maxillofacial region have rarely been reported. Here we report ultrasonographic findings from the nine cases of schwannoma located in that region that we encountered between 1984 and 1995. The tumor was delineated as a hypoechoic mass with a sharply demarcated contour and posterior echo enhancement. Change in the internal echo followed pathologic degenerative changes: cystic change, bleeding, myxomatous change, and hyaline degeneration. The internal echo was in agreement with the description of Antoni type A tissue, showing hemorrhagic and hyaline degeneration in the tumor. The cystic pattern of the ultrasonogram corresponded to cystic change, and hypoechoic area of the ultrasonogram corresponded to Antoni type B tissue and myxomatous change. The internal echo pattern on the ultrasonogram of a schwannoma was found to reflect the pathologic structure of the tumor.