Applicability of macro- and microradiography in diagnosis of malignant neoplasms infiltrating the jaw bones.

The subject of this paper is the evaluation of the applicability of structural jaw and mandible radiograms in diagnosing malignant neoplastic processes infiltrating the osseous tissue. The material studied comprised 20 patients treated surgically due to neoplasms of the faciocranium. The group investigated consisted of 17 males, aged 35--65 years and three females 45--60 years old. The most numerous group of neoplasms was composed of cancers: 18 patients; the remaining two were fibrosarcomas. For structural radiographs fine grained films and folialess cassettes were used, with soft X-rays being applied for irradiating the preparations. The radiograms were prepared by means of X-ray apparatus with a small focal lamp with a diameter of 0.3 mm, and with the point-focal apparatus. On the basis of analyses covering 24 macroradiograms and 71 microradiograms, criteria for estimating the malignant infiltration of the bone were established. The possibility of practical applicability of these investigations during intraoperative evaluation of the clinically suspicious bone segments has been emphasized.