Background: Image-guided surgery could help obtain clear (≥5.0 mm) resection margins. This feasibility study investigated ultrasound-guided resection accuracy of buccal mucosa squamous cell carcinoma (BMSCC).
Methods: MRI and ultrasound measurements of tumor thickness were compared to histology in 13 BMSCC-patients. Ultrasound measured margins (at five locations) on the specimen were compared to the corresponding histological margins.
Results: Accuracy of in- and ex-vivo ultrasound (mean deviation from histology: 1.6 mm) for measuring tumor thickness was comparable to MRI (mean deviation from histology: 2.6 mm). The sensitivity to detect clear margins using ex-vivo ultrasound was low (48%). If an ex-vivo ultrasound cutoff of ≥7.5 mm would be used, the sensitivity would increase to 86%.
Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided resection of BMSCC's is feasible. In- and ex-vivo ultrasound measure tumor thickness in BMSCC accurately. We recommend ≥7.5 mm resection margins on ex-vivo ultrasound to obtain histological clear margins. Additional research is required to establish the effect of 7.5 mm ultrasound cutoff.
Keywords: buccal mucosa squamous cell carcinoma; image-guided surgery; oral cancer; resection margins; ultrasonography.
© 2022 The Authors. Head & Neck published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.