Careful attention to technique is of utmost importance in instances in which clinical evidence indicates that the osteolytic or osteogenic margins of a lesion may extend beyond those visible on a conventional radiograph. Procedures such as radionuclide scans should be used to establish the appropriate boundaries for surgical resection in such instances. Although early surgical intervention will usually lead to a definitive histopathologic diagnosis, there is some risk that manipulation will either compromise the validity of later radiological procedure or extend the disease by local dissemination or blood-borne metastases. Appropriate radiologic evaluation of lytic lesions of the mandible can provide a maximum amount of information so that surgical resection of the lesion will be complete, and the possibility of recurrence will be reduced.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R Raitz, L Correa, M. Curi, L. Dib, and M Fenyo-Pereira Conventional and indirect digital radiographic interpretation of oral unilocular radiolucent lesions. Dentomaxillofac. Radiol., May 1, 2006; 35(3): 165 - 169. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]