title: Color-Doppler ultrasound in the diagnosis of oral vascular anomalies.
abstract: In last few years, thanks to laser technology with minimally invasive approach, there was a growing need for treatment of oral vascular malformations inside the dental offices. Generally, the diagnosis of oral vascular malformations is based on clinical history, clinical examination and imaging exams. In the present paper, we review, researching by PubMed, the technical aspects, clinical indications, potentialities and limitations of color-Doppler ultrasound in the work-up of oral vascular malformations. Different imaging modalities are encountered for the diagnosis and follow-up of these lesions such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, color-Doppler ultrasound and angiography. To date, color-Doppler ultrasound is considered the first-line imaging approach since it provides a non-invasive, cost effective, real time evaluation of oral vascular anomalies. It provides both morphological and vascular information, which are useful to determine the best therapeutic options. Ultrasonography, for these reasons, could be considered as a valuable diagnostic tool in the preliminary assessment of oral vascular anomalies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, University "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Gaimari
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gianfranco
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, University "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Fioravanti
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Eloisa
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Cantisani
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vito
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Guerrisi
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Raffaele
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, University "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Tenore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gianluca
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, University "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Romeo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Umberto
keywords: Color-Doppler ultrasound; hemangiomas; oral cavity; vascular malformations