Investigating the Role of Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Oral Lesions: A Scoping Review

Aim To provide an overview of the diagnostic potential of Ultrasound to assess oral lesions using Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Computed Tomography/Cone‐beam computed tomography, or histopathology as the reference standard. Methods A literature search was conducted from the following databases: OVID Medline and Embase, Web of Science, Pubmed, and Scopus. The Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist for Systematic Reviews and Research Syntheses tool was used to assess the risk of bias. Results Thirty‐four studies were included. One study assessed soft tissue lesions, one study assessed intraosseous lesions, and 32 studies assessed malignancies. Ultrasound demonstrated its ability to recognize biomarkers of a diverse range of soft tissue lesions with sensitivity and specificity over 90%. Sensitivity and specificity over 90% were also found for the detection of ameloblastoma proliferation. From studies investigating malignancies, 32% measured the depth of invasion, and 56% measured tumor thickness. The main method of analysis was correlation in 68% of the studies, followed by 25% of the studies assessing sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion Ultrasound has the potential to provide accurate information on the characteristics of benign oral lesions and malignancies. It can be used as an initial method of assessment or screening to aid in diagnosis and treatment planning.