QUANTITATIVE-EVALUATION OF CONSISTENCY OF NORMAL MUCOSA, LEUKOPLAKIA AND SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA OF THE TONGUE

The quantitative differences in consistency of normal mucosa, leukopla kia and squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue were studied. Forty-five patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, 26 with leukopla kia and 80 with normal tongues mere examined using an instrument capab le of measuring consistency as a function of the load tin grams) neede d to displace tongue mucosa by 2.0 mm using a probe 2.0 mm in diameter . The mean value for consistency in tongue carcinoma, leukoplakia and normal tongue was 22.1 +/- 8.0 g, 8.3 +/- 2.0 g and 4.8 +/- 0.7 g, res pectively. Differences in consistency among these entities were signif icant (P < 0.001). Furthermore, consistency in tongue carcinoma was si gnificantly correlated to tumour thickness (p = 0.954, P < 0.001), It was concluded that the consistency in tongue lesions was objectively a nd quantitatively evaluated by this method, and this technique could m easure the thickness of the tumorous lesions preoperatively.