Clinical applications of ultrasound examination in the assessment of bone lesions of the jaws

Ultrasound examination is a non-invasive real-time imaging modality that has been used in many fields of medicine for more than 50 years. This thesis aimed to evaluate the clinical applications of ultrasound examination to manage various intraosseous lesions affecting the jawbones. The results of the present thesis demonstrated that ultrasound imaging provided reliable information on the content of lesions within the mandible and maxillary bones, with histopathological examination as a gold standard. Furthermore, the diagnostic ability of ultrasound showed its importance when the clinician was struggling to differentially diagnose lesions. The reliability of real-time ultrasound examination was confirmed in the management of complications of infective jaw lesions, since the technique could detect and trace the route of pus drainage from periapical lesions. The present work also demonstrated that, despite the limitations addressed in previous scientific literature, intra-osseous lesions in the jaws can be visualized using ultrasound in a predictable manner, independent of the diameter, thickness, and presence/absence of perforation in the cortical plate. In addition, the findings of the present thesis suggest that echography can be used to predict the outcome of both surgical and non-surgical treatment of bone lesions, as well as to monitor the long-term healing of such lesions.