Objective: The purposes of this article are to illustrate the sonographic appearance of the oropharynx and to discuss the potential role of ultrasound in evaluation of the oropharynx.
Conclusion: Ultrasound is not currently used in the standard clinical evaluation of the oropharynx, but it is a promising imaging modality for evaluating the base of the tongue and the palatine tonsils. Ultrasound is comparable and complementary to CT and MRI, which have recognized limitations.
Keywords: HPV; base of tongue; head and neck cancer; human papillomavirus; oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma; tonsil; ultrasound.