From a clinical-radiologic standpoint, there are a limited number of structures and disease entities in the temporal bone with which one must be familiar in order to proficiently interpret a computed tomographic or magnetic resonance imaging study of the temporal bone. It is helpful to examine the region in an organized and systematic fashion, going through the same checklist of key structures each time. This is the first of a two-part review that provides a practical approach to understanding temporal bone anatomy, localizing a pathologic process with a focus on inflammatory and neoplastic processes, identifying pertinent positives and negatives, and formulating a differential diagnosis.

Imaging surveillance after treatment for head and neck cancer is challenging because of complicated resection and reconstruction surgery, in addition to posttreatment changes from radiation and chemotherapy. The posttreatment neck is often a source of anxiety for diagnostic radiologists, leading to suboptimal reporting and no standardized guidance for next management steps. Nevertheless, imaging is critical for detecting submucosal recurrences in a timely manner, so that patients remain candidates for salvage surgery. In 2016, the ACR convened the Neck Imaging Reporting and Data Systems (NI-RADS) Committee with the goals to (1) provide recommendations for surveillance imaging; (2) produce a lexicon to distinguish between benign posttreatment change and residual or recurrent tumor in the posttreatment neck; and (3) propose a NI-RADS template for reporting on the basis of this lexicon with defined levels of suspicion and management recommendations. In this article, the authors present the ACR NI-RADS Committee's recommendations, which provide guidance regarding the management of patients after treatment for head and neck cancer.

Sinonasal organizing hematomas are rare lesions of the paranasal sinuses whose clinical characteristics lead to misdiagnoses of benign or malignant neoplasms. Endoscopy, preoperative biopsy, and computed tomography (CT) imaging do not lend helpful information in differentiating these lesions from more worrisome neoplastic processes. However, MRI can lead to positive diagnosis by recognizing the distinct outer rims of T2 hypointensity typically seen in these lesions.

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Ultrasound is useful in the evaluation of oral tongue malignancies. More experience is needed to determine if it is reliable in determining preoperative DOI in light of the role this tumor parameter plays in the eighth edition of the AJCC staging manual. Laryngoscope, 2018.

CT and MR imaging are essential cross-sectional imaging modalities for assessment of temporal bone anatomy and pathology. The choice of CT versus MR depends on the structures and the disease processes that require assessment, delineation, and characterization. A thorough knowledge of the two imaging modalities' capabilities and of temporal bone anatomy greatly facilitates imaging interpretation of pathologic conditions.

The current standard of care in oral tongue cancer surgery is complete resection with a target of 5-mm microscopic clearance at all margins on final pathologic review. While current methods of resection are often successful at determining the mucosal margins of the lesion, they may be limited when attempting to achieve an adequate deep margin. A number of previous studies suggested that ultrasound is superior to manual palpation and other imaging modalities (computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging) at demarcating the margins of tongue lesions. Recent clinical reports of the intraoperative use of this modality have used an invasive method to mark the proposed deep resection margin. In this communication, we report our initial experience with the use of intraoperative ultrasound as an adjunct to oral tongue cancer surgery without the use of an invasive method to mark the deep resection margin.

The first part of this review of the temporal bone discussed anatomy of the temporal bone as well as inflammatory and neoplastic processes in the temporal bone region (1). This second part will first discuss trauma to the temporal bone and posttraumatic complications. The indications for common surgical procedures performed in the temporal bone and their postoperative imaging appearance are then presented. Finally, a few noninflammatory nonneoplastic entities involving the temporal bone are reviewed. They are relatively uncommon diagnoses compared with infectious or inflammatory diseases. However, because patients present with symptoms that are either common (hearing loss) or distinctive (sensorineural hearing loss in a child), they are important for the radiologist to be aware of and recognize.