Diagnostic ultrasonography: follow-up of the cicatricial process after cervicomental fat liposuction / Ultrassonografia diagnóstica: acompanhamento do processo cicatricial após lipoaspiração da gordura cervicomentual

ABSTRACT Mechanical liposuction of cervicomental fat is part of the aesthetic procedures of orofacial harmonization. Ultrasonography stands out for illustrating soft tissues with high-resolution images in the diagnostic and postoperative stages. The present study aimed to report the case of a female patient, 54 years old, in good general health, confirmed by all previously requested laboratory tests, whose main complaint was the presence of excess fat in the jowl region. The stages after the liposuction procedure were followed by high-resolution ultrasound examinations in order to assess the healing of the manipulated tissues, and ultrasound evaluations were performed in the postoperative follow-up periods of 30, 60 and 120 days. Through the present study, it was possible to conclude that ultrasonography is an important ally in the postoperative follow-up of neck liposuction, allowing to follow the evolution of the post-surgical repair process.

RESUMO A lipoaspiração mecânica da gordura cervical faz parte dos procedimentos estéticos de harmonização orofacial. A ultrassonografia se destaca por evidenciar tecidos moles com imagens de alta resolução nas fases diagnóstica e pós-operatória. O presente estudo teve como objetivo relatar o caso de uma paciente do sexo feminino, 54 anos, com bom estado geral de saúde, confirmado por todos os exames laboratoriais previamente solicitados, cuja queixa principal era a presença de excesso de gordura na região da papada. As etapas após o procedimento de lipoaspiração foram acompanhadas por exames ultrassonográficos de alta resolução para avaliar a cicatrização dos tecidos manipulados e as avaliações ultrassonográficas foram realizadas nos períodos de acompanhamento pós-operatório de 30, 60 e 120 dias. Através do presente estudo foi possível concluir que a ultrassonografia é uma importante aliada no acompanhamento pós-operatório de lipoaspiração cervical, permitindo acompanhar a evolução do processo de reparo pós-cirúrgico.

Dosimetric evaluation for temporomandibular joint cone beam computed tomography exams using different field of view.

Objectives.To optimize the absorbed organ dose in relation to the field of view for temporomandibular joint examinations in four cone beam computed tomography devices.Methods.An anthropomorphic adult head and neck phantom, and 192 LiF dosimeters (TLD-100) were used. The dosimeters were placed in the region corresponding to the lens, parotid glands, submandibular glands, and thyroid. Small, medium and large FOVs were selected on Orthopantomograph OP300 Maxio, PaX-i3D Smart, ORTHOPHOS XG, and i-CAT Next Generation device when it was possible.Results.A wide range of absorbed dose values was recorded for all organs due to the different exposure parameters of each device. The radiosensitive organ with the highest dose was the parotid glands. The devices with 5 × 5 cm FOV recorded a lower dose in this protocol, while for the device without a small FOV (≤5 × 5 cm), the lowest dose was observed with the large FOV (6 × 16 cm).Conclusions.We recommend a double exposure with an FOV of 5 × 5 cm in the OP300 Maxio, PaX-i3D Smart, and ORTHOPHOS XG device, while in the i-CAT Next Generation device, a single exposure FOV of 6 × 16 cm is indicated.

Evaluation of Incidental Findings on Cone Beam Computed Tomography

Objective: To assess the prevalence of incidental findings in relation to the side of a patient's face, location, and age group on cone beam computed tomography. Material and Methods: 175 CBCT examinations were performed on patients aged between 12 and 77 years, consisting of recordings of the anatomical location and findings following each examination. For standardization of tomographic evaluations, acquired images were analyzed by two previously trained expert radiologists. After positional adjustment of the multi-dimensional images on the monitor screen, examination of each scan was conducted simultaneously on the coronal, axial, and sagittal planes. Fisher's exact tests and Chi-square tests were used to compare the frequencies of incidental findings using a significance level of 0.05. Results: The most frequent incidental finding was maxillary sinus mucosal thickening, which occurred on the right and left side in 46.3% and 46.9% of the patients, respectively. The second most frequent incidental finding was flattening of the mandibular condyle, occurring on the right and left side in 29.7% and 24% of the patients, respectively. No significant difference was observed among the individual age groups. The number of incidental findings per patient varied from 0 to 5 on the right side and left side and from 0 to 12 in total. The Kendall correlation coefficient for the number of incidental findings between the sides was 0.25 (p<0.0001), indicating a weak but significant and positive association between the sides in relation to the number of incidental findings. The mean total number of incidental findings was 4.07. Conclusion: The prevalence of the individual incidental findings and the total number of findings were not statistically different. However, some alterations were more likely to be observed bilaterally.