Oral Cavity Overview

Summary Thoughts: Oral Cavity

The oral cavity (OC) is the area of the suprahyoid neck anterior to the oropharynx and inferior to the sinonasal region. Imaging indications for the OC are usually highly refined because the referring physician can see all mucosal surfaces and palpate most lesions found here. The role of imaging for the clinician is to assess the deep tissue extent of OC tumors and space-based differential diagnoses when a deep tissue lesion is discovered. Three indications drive the vast majority of CT and MR exams of the OC: (1) Staging OC squamous cell carcinoma (SCCa), (2) evaluating for abscess and its etiology, and (3) differentiating submandibular nodal and gland mass.