An overview of High-Definition Ultrasounds applied in oral diseases

OBJECTIVE: Ultrasonography (US) is a non-invasive and real-time medical imaging technique based on the reflection of sound waves and the specific impedance of the body's tissues. It has been used as a diagnostic aid in oral diseases both with an intraoral and extraoral approach in recent years. The fields of application have been varied, from oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) to vesiculobullous diseases. It is added to several other imaging technologies such as optical coherence tomography, narrow-band imaging, tissue fluorescence, and reflectance microscopy. This study aims to provide an overview of the technique and fields of application in the oral cavity. METHODS: Narrative overview of the literature synthesizing the findings of literature retrieved from searches of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science database. RESULTS: Most studies in the literature analyze the feasibility of the US in OSCC. In OSCC, the technique allows for identifying the lesion in the surrounding tissue context; furthermore, the high dimensional accuracy allows for measuring the tumor thickness, giving diagnostic and prognostic information. Ultrasonography has been applied also to oral lichen planus (OLP), Pemphigus Vulgaris (PV), Mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP), and temporomandibular joint (TMJ). CONCLUSION: The US represents a promising imaging technique in vivo and real-time for the characterization of oral diseases. Further studies are needed on the topic.