Evaluation of Oral and Maxillofacial Swellings by Ultrasonographic Features
Evaluation of Oral and Maxillofacial Swellings by Ultrasonographic Features
Fifty patients were randomly selected with oral and/or maxillofacial swelling, thorough case
 history and clinical examination were done, then ultrasound examinations were done for all of
 them and they were classified into five groups (I. inflammatory/space infection and abscess
 swellings), (II. cystic swellings), (III. lymph node swellings), (IV. benign swellings) and
 (V. malignant neoplastic swellings) according to their ultrasound features. The patients were
 subjected to histopathologic evaluation.
Fifty patients with swellings in the oral and/or maxillofacial region were randomly selected.
 Any other swellings that were caused by trauma and/or fracture, extended below the neck or
 patient reluctant to undergo US were excluded from the study. This study was approved by the
 (Research Ethics Committee) (REC), Faculty of Dentistry, Minia University before starting the
 research and all the entire patients had signed a standardized informed consent laid down by
 REC.

 A comprehensive questionnaire was used to assess history and through extra-oral & intra-oral
 examinations were carried out and recorded on the basis of criteria reported by Das.11 The
 ultrasonographic investigations were carried using an ultrasound diagnostic modality (LOGIQ-
 P5) (GE Medical System, Korea) with color Doppler function by using a linear array
 transducer, operating at a frequency of (7.5-12 MHz). All the examinations were performed
 over the swellings and also compared to the contra-lateral/normal side whenever needed. (Fig.
 1) All sonographic images were interpreted by an expert sonologist (15 years experience) and
 US features were recorded to extract ultrasonographic guided (USG) diagnosis and patient's
 swellings were categorized into five groups: inflammatory/infection/abscess swellings (Group
 I), cystic swellings (Group II), lymph node swellings (Group III), benign swellings (Group
 IV) and malignant neoplastic swellings (Group V).12 Finally, the included patients were
 subjected to either fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) or surgical intervention for
 histopathological examination to extract the histopathological diagnosis
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  All with oral and/or maxillofacial swelling,

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Any other swellings that were caused by trauma and/or fracture, extended below the
 neck or patient reluctant to undergo US were excluded from the study.