title: Effectiveness of the supraomohyoid neck dissection in clinically N0 neck patients with squamous cell carcinoma of buccal mucosa and gingivobuccal sulcus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate the effectiveness of the supraomohyoid neck dissection in clinically N0 neck patients with squamous cell carcinoma of buccal mucosa and gingivobuccal sulcus.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a prospective study of five patients with squamous cell carcinoma of gingivobuccal mucosa of oral cavity with clinically N0 neck, conducted over a period of 2 years from July 2007 to Oct 2009 in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Narayana Dental College and Hospital. The study was conducted in patients irrespective of age, sex, size, thickness, and type of differentiation of the lesion. All patients have clinically non-palpable lymphnodes (N0 neck), while patients with palpable lymphnodes, patients with previous surgery, and patients with previous radiotherapy were excluded from the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Level I was the commonest site of neck metastasis in our study. Among the five patients, two (40%) patients (case 2 and 3) had occult cervical metastasis (level IB nodes are histopathologically positive nodes) and the remaining three patients (60%) had no occult cervical metastasis. The recurrence rate was 20% for patients who received postoperative radiotherapy. There was no morbidity and postoperative dysfunction and the mortality rate was only 20% in our study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Supraomohyoid neck dissection is the therapeutic procedure in clinically N0 neck patients with squamous cell carcinoma of buccal mucosa and gingivobuccal sulcus of mandible. Supraomohyoid neck dissection, when indicated, contributes to the concept of less-invasive surgery and offers functional and aesthetic advantages without compromising the clearance with minimal morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, CKS Theja Institute of Dental Sciences and Research, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: S A K Uroof
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rahamthulla
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, Sri Padhmavati Medical College, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: P Vani
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Priya
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Saraswati Dhanwantari Dental College, Parbhani, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: S M D Javeed
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Daswani Dental College, Kota, Rajasthan, India.
authors.forename: Fazil Arshad
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Nasyam
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Diagnostic Sciences College of Dentistry, Prince Sattam Bin Abdul Aziz University, Al-Kharj, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Syed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akifuddin
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, RVS Hospital, RVS Nagar, Tirupati road, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Velpula Sasidhar
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Srinivas
keywords: PN+; PN+ histopathologically positive node; PN−; PN− histopathologically negative node; SCM; sternocleidomastoid; supraomohyoid neck dissection