THE USEFULNESS OF BONE SCAN FOR EVALUATING JAW BONE EXTENSION OF ORAL CANCER

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The present study was carried out to determine the diagnostic usefulness of bone scan for evaluating jaw bone extension of oral cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records, preoperative bone scans, computerized tomographic (CT) scans, conventional radiographs, and findings of histopathologic sections of twenty patients who had been treated for oral malignant tumors by a resection of mandible and soft tissue at Chonnam University Hospital from January, 1994 to September, 1999 were analyzed. RESULTS: In 13 cases which showed histopathologically positive, preoperative bone scans were positive in 12 (92.3%) and false negative in 1 (7.7%). Preoperative CT scans were positive in 9 (69.2%) and false negative in 4 (30.8%) of the 13 cases. Preoperative conventional radiographs were positive in 8 (61.5%) and false negative in 5 (38.5%) of the 13 cases. In 7 cases showing negative histopathologic findings, 1 (14.3%) was in CT scans and 2 (28.6%) were false positive in preoperative conventional radiographs. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that bone scan is more sensitive and reliable method for evaluating jaw bone extension of oral cancer than conventional radiographs or CT scans.