Evaluation of Radiographic Features and Clinical Signs of Maxillofacial Malignancies in Patients Referred to Mashhad Dental School During 2003-2017

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the radiographic and clinical features of malignant oral and maxillofacial lesions in patients referred to the Radiology Department of Mashhad Dental School from 2003 to 2017. Methods: A total of 45 radiographs of patients who had been referred to the Radiology Department of Mashhad Dental School from 2003 to 2017 were selected from the radiology archive. The patients presenting with malignant lesions in jaws and a definite pathologic diagnosis were selected as the study population. The radiographic features of lesions were investigated using intraoral radiographies, panoramic, and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) or computed tomography (CT) views. Then, 18 patients whose information was available were evaluated. Fisher’s exact test was used to compare the characteristics of lesions. Results: The age of the patients ranged from 5 to 84 years, with a mean of 49.18 years. Of the 45 lesions identified, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was the most prevalent malignancy, followed by lymphoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Most malignant lesions were seen in the posterior region of the jaws, and lesions were generally more prevalent in the mandible. Additionally, 77.8% of the observed malignancies had an ill-defined border, and 86.6% of them were radiolucent. In the clinical view, swelling was the most common symptom, and the duration of the disease in the majority of the lesions was less than 3 months. Conclusions: Paying attention to the course of the lesion, its internal structure and borders in the radiographic view can lead to a more accurate differentiation of malignant lesions from benign ones and timely referral of the patient.