Ultrasonography in the diagnosis of palatal tumors

Objective. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of ultr asonography for the preoperative evaluation of palatal salivary gland tumor s. 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 caps ule histologically, whereas the poorly delimited tumors had no capsule or o nly 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. Echogra ms 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 det ermine the localization and condition of the rumors by close analysis of th e echogram. The internal echo pattern on the ultrasonogram of a palatal tum or was found to reflect the pathologic structure of the tumor. Ultrasonogra phy can therefore be a quite useful technique for the preoperative evaluati on of palatal salivary gland tumors.