Respective roles of CT and US in staging of tongue cancer

Forty-six patients with suspected primary or recurrent tongue tumors were investigated by US and CT to determine the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and predictive values of each modality in the staging of tongue cancer. Thirty-six patients were operated on; 20 underwent extensive multiple biopsies for verification (followed by radiation therapy in 14 cases). US correctly assessed tumor stage in 43 patients, CT in 33 patients (problems arose mainly in the detection of recurrences), and clinical staging was correct in 34 patients. US proved superior in detecting recurrences and in assessing the extent of tongue muscle infiltration. CT better delineated the extent of parapharyngeal and retropharyngeal infiltration and bone destruction. Therefore, US seems to be the superior imaging technique for assessing tongue muscle infiltration, but in cases of pharyngeal involvement, CT should be added