ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Preoperative imaging is mandatory for deciding the extent of surgery in tumors of oral tongue. Previous studies have shown the significance of depth of tumor invasion in predicting nodal involvement. AIM: This prospective study aimed to assess the correlation between tumor dimensions in all three planes obtained through preoperative imaging and histopathological findings, as well as the correlation between these and pathological node positivity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-nine consecutive patients with nonmetastatic, operable, squamous cell carcinoma of anterior two-thirds of the tongue were included in the study. Preoperative imaging findings were compared with pathological findings and analyzed. RESULTS: Histopathological dimensions were concordant with imaging findings. Anteroposterior, transverse, and craniocaudal (CC) dimensions obtained through imaging showed a significant correlation with corresponding pathological findings (0.730, 0.621, 0.810, respectively; P < 0.001). Among all three, only CC dimension showed a significant correlation with pathological nodal involvement (odds ratio [OR] = 7.875, P = 0.03, relative risk = 0.236). Pathological tumor thickness of >3 mm had a positive predictive value of 54.9% for nodal involvement (OR = 7.875, P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: With widespread availability of state-of-the-art magnetic resonance (MR) scanners, CC dimension needs to be emphasized as the most significant prognostic tumor parameter. Recent evidence, including our study, suggests that MR imaging is concordant with pathological findings, justifying its use in the pretreatment evaluation of oral tongue lesions.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/diagnostic imaging , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Prognosis , Tongue Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/pathology , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/surgery , Female , Humans , Lymphatic Metastasis , Male , Middle Aged , Neck Dissection , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/diagnostic imaging , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/pathology , Tongue Neoplasms/pathology , Tongue Neoplasms/surgeryABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in tumors of anterior two-thirds of tongue has a significant role in assessing different tumor parameters, and in prognosticating. AIM: This prospective study conducted in a tertiary cancer care center, focused on patients with squamous cell carcinoma of anterior two-thirds of tongue. The significance of invasion of paralingual and sublingual spaces in relation to the pathological grade of these tumors, and its predictive value in pathological nodal involvement were analyzed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All consecutive patients with the required inclusion criteria were accrued. Imaging was done with 3 Tesla MRI and invasion of sublingual and paralingual spaces were accurately assessed. Data elucidated were tabulated and analysed using IBM SPSS version 20.0. Chi-square test, nonparametric correlation using Spearman's Rho correlation, and two-independent sample test using Mann-Whitney's U-test were used to arrive at correlations between the imaging and histopathological parameters. RESULTS: Sixty-three patients were analyzed. Mean age was 52.3 ± 11.45 years. 74.6% were males. MRI showed sublingual space invasion in 47.6%. 18/28 with and 11/33 without invasion had node positivity. Paralingual space involvement was observed in 31.7% of patients. Thirteen of these and 16/43 with no involvement had positive cervical nodes. No statistically significant correlation was observed. CONCLUSION: This prospective study did not establish any statistically sound correlation, and robust data are lacking to support newer parameters such as sublingual space and paralingual space as probable predictors of cervical nodal involvement, and for prognostication.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/diagnosis , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods , Tongue Neoplasms/diagnosis , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/pathology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prognosis , Prospective Studies , Tongue Neoplasms/pathology , Young AdultABSTRACT
Paralingual Space is a region located on the floor of the oral cavity. The cavity has great importance in communications and for the spread of infectious diseases. This study investigated the level of dissemination of 0.2 ml of an oily pigment solution, into paralingual space of 20 heads of male Sprague Dawley rats. The results can be seen by the spread of the solution in the three segments of paralingual space, being higher in the middle third of the region, although the differences were not significant (p<0.05). With these observations, the discussion is about the possibility that an infection may spread into paralingual space opposite the muscles of the medial wall of this space.
El espacio paralingual es una región ubicada en el piso de la cavidad oral con comunicaciones de gran importancia para la difusión de procesos infecciosos. El presente estudio investigó el nivel de difusión de 0,2 ml de una solución oleosa pigmentada, hacia el espacio paralingual opuesto en 20 cabezas de ratas Sprague Dawley. En los resultados obtenidos se observa la difusión de la solución en los tres segmentos del espacio paralingual, siendo mayor en el tercio medio de la región, aunque las diferencias no resultaron significativas (p<0,05). Con estas observaciones se discute acerca de la posibilidad de que un proceso infeccioso pueda difundir hacia el espacio paralingual opuesto a través de la musculatura de la pared medial del espacio.
