Radiology, Vol 151, 123-126, Copyright © 1984 by Radiological Society of North America
Carcinomas of the base of the tongue: diagnosis using double-contrast radiography of the pharynx
AJ Apter, MS Levine and SN Glick
A barium examination is frequently performed as the primary screening study
on patients with carcinoma of the base of the tongue who present with
dysphagia. Because of the limitations of the conventional barium study in
visualizing the pharynx, double-contrast views of this region are routinely
included as part of the standard barium examination on all patients with
pharyngeal dysphagia. With this technique, six carcinomas of the base of
the tongue were detected, including four ulcerating and two exophytic
lesions. The normal and abnormal appearance of the tongue base on
double-contrast radiography of the pharynx is described. The authors
believe that this is a valuable technique for diagnosing malignant lesions
of the base of the tongue in patients with pharyngeal dysphagia, and that
radiologists should incorporate this technique into their routine
examination in order to detect these lesions at the earliest possible
stage.
