The Role of Ultrasonography in The Diagnosis of Oral and Maxillofacial Disease
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37506/ijfmt.v15i1.13680Keywords:
Abscess, Cyst, Maxillofacial abnormalities, Ultrasonography.Abstract
Objective: Ultrasonography, as a diagnostic tool, constitutes a non-invasive, cost-effective, readily-available
and repeatable imaging technique. Ultrasonography has been used as a means of diagnosing various medical
conditions for many years. However, in the field of maxillofacial surgery it represents a relatively new aid
in the diagnosis of various diseases affecting the oral and maxillofacial regions. These include: infection,
soft-tissue related diseases and vascular anomalies which can be detected using Doppler ultrasonography.
This article presents four cases, in which ultrasonography was employed to confirm diagnoses and act as a
guide to treatment. Methods: Four cases of soft tissue swelling and enlargement were diagnosed with the
aid of ultrasonography, namely: a submasseteric abscess, a nasolabial cyst, a dermoid cyst and a left buccal
space abscess caused by a foreign body (i.e. a fish bone). Result: In the case of a submasseteric abscess,
ultrasonography was used in confirming the diagnosis and therapy, while determining the maximal point of
the abscess. In the cases of both cysts, ultrasonography highlighted well-defined cystic lesions with internal
echo showing fluid accumulation, while in the buccal space abscess, an ultrasonogram confirmed the exact
location of the fish bone. Conclusion: Ultrasonography is a quick, widely-available, relatively inexpensive,
painless procedure which can be repeated as often as necessary without risk to the patient. Thus, ultrasonography
is a valuable diagnostic aid to the oral and maxillofacial surgeon in achieving early and accurate diagnosis.
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