title: Diagnostic approach to retromolar trigone cancer by multiplanar computed tomography reconstructions.
abstract: Neoplasms of retromolar trigone have important peculiarities due to their spatial relationships with the surrounding structures. Tumours that involve this area can extend to nearby muscles; adipose spaces; and other anatomic structures, such as the soft palate, the tonsillar fossa, the parapharyngeal space, and the floor of the mouth. In spite of a relatively quick diagnosis, the real extent of these tumours is typically underestimated at clinical examination. Our purpose was to propose a systematic approach to the use of multiplanar computed tomography reconstructions to evaluate normal retromolar trigone anatomy and the main pathways of spread for tumours that arise in this area. To our knowledge, only few reports exist in literature about this topic and none are about the usefulness of multidetector computed tomography and multiplanar reconstructions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy. Electronic address: smazziotti@unime.it.
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mazziotti
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Ignazio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pandolfo
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Tommaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: D'Angelo
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Achille
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mileto
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Visalli
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Santi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Racchiusa
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blandino
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ascenti
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008334:Mandible / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008339:Mandibular Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008964:Molar, Third; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted
keywords: Computed tomography; Multidetector computed tomography; Multiplanar reconstruction; Neoplasm; Retromolar trigone