MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING OF THE ORAL CAVITY AND TONGUE

The oral cavity is the oral portion of the upper aerodigestive tract s eparated from the oropharynx by the soft palate, anterior tonsillar pi llars, and circumvallate papillae. The anatomy of the components of th e oral cavity, including the oral tongue, the floor of the mouth, the retromolar trigone, the hard and soft palates, the buccal mucosa, and the gingiva, are described. The pathology discussion includes both mal ignant (predominantly squamous cell carcinomas) and benign disease ent ities commonly detected in this region.