Ultrasonography in Dentistry: Integrating Doppler and MRI in Diagnosis

Karaman İncekürk Ö., Büyüksungur A., Kolsuz M. E.

2025 IADR/PER General Session & Exhibition, Barcelona, İspanya, 25 - 28 Haziran 2025, ss.2508, (Özet Bildiri)

  • Yayın Türü: Bildiri / Özet Bildiri
  • Basıldığı Şehir: Barcelona
  • Basıldığı Ülke: İspanya
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.2508
  • Ankara Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Ultrasonography in Dentistry: Integrating Doppler and MRI in Diagnosis

Özgür Karaman Incekurk*1, Arda Büyüksungur1, Mehmet Eray Kolsuz1
1Ankara University Faculty of Dentistry, Ankara, Turkey

Objectives
This study retrospectively analyzes the indications for ultrasonography (USG), the frequency and findings of Doppler USG, and the necessity for additional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in dental practice.

Methods
The USG records of 263 patients (184 females, 79 males) who visited the Ankara University Faculty of Dentistry between 2023 and 2024 were retrospectively reviewed. Patient age, gender, USG indications, use of Doppler USG, and the need for additional MRI were categorized. USG indications were classified into eight categories: tongue, gingiva, mass, lymph nodes, intraoral lesions, swelling, temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and salivary glands.

Results
The most common indication for USG was TMJ disorders (38.78%, n=102), while tongue pathologies were the least frequent (1.90%, n=5). Female patients comprised approximately 70% of cases, although in certain conditions, such as mass lesions, male predominance was observed. The youngest patient group was associated with lymph node pathologies (mean age: 28.96 years), while the oldest group was seen in salivary gland pathologies (mean age: 53.55 years). Doppler USG was performed in 96% of cases, excluding TMJ evaluations. Among patients with hypervascularity on Doppler USG, 54.7% also exhibited heterogeneous echogenicity and irregular borders, prompting further MRI assessment due to suspected malignancy. In TMJ cases, MRI was utilized in 83.3% of patients to assess disc position and enhance diagnostic accuracy.

Conclusions
This study highlights the role of USG in dental diagnostics and its association with the need for further imaging. Doppler USG plays a crucial role in vascular assessment, particularly in mass lesions and inflammatory conditions. Additionally, USG enables dynamic evaluation of TMJ disorders, while MRI provides essential complementary data on disc position and soft tissue structures. Ultrasonography and MRI serve as fundamental and complementary diagnostic modalities in dental imaging, significantly enhancing clinical assessment and decision making