Intraoral sonographic features of tongue cancer after radical radiotherapy

Purpose: The purpose was to illustrate the sonographic changes of tongue cancer after radical radiotherapy. Materials and methods: In 24 patients with tongue cancer treated by interstitial brachytherapy (BRT) (uneventful recovery n=16, recurrence n=5, severe soft tissue complication n=3), follow-up examination were performed and both the margin and the vascular pattern were retrospectively assessed. We basically performed US examination at least once every 3 months after BRT within 1 year during follow-up period. Results: In the healing process, intraoral sonography shows an unclear margin immediately after brachytherapy and a transient increase of the vascularity lasted within 6 months after BRT, followed by a decrease in the vascularity. The large difference in echogenicity between the primary site and the surrounding tissue and the increased difference suggested the possibility of either radiation ulceration or recurrence. Conclusion: Intraoral sonography could depict the sequence changes of the tongue after BRT, and it was thus useful to confirm the clinical findings of either radiation ulcers or recurrence.