Objective: Current imaging techniques are often suboptimal for the detection of mandibular invasion by squamous cell carcinoma. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based technique known as sweep imaging with Fourier transform (SWIFT) to visualize the structural changes of intramandibular anatomy during invasion.
Design: Descriptive case study.
Setting: Tertiary academic institution.
Patients: Patients with oral carcinoma who underwent segmental mandibulectomy.
Interventions: Two specimens from each patient were imaged using a 9.4-T Varian MRI system. The SWIFT images were correlated with histologic sections.
Results: The SWIFT technique with in vitro specimens produced images with sufficient resolution (156-273 μm) and contrast to allow accurate depiction of tumor invasion of cortical and medullary bone. Both specimens had histopathologic evidence of mandibular invasion with tumor. A high degree of correlation was found between magnetic resonance images and histopathologic findings.
Conclusions: The SWIFT MRI offers 3-dimensional assessment of cortical and medullary bone in fine detail and excellent qualitative agreement with histopathologic findings. Imaging with the SWIFT MRI technique demonstrates great potential to identify mandibular invasion by oral carcinoma.