Quantification of masticatory muscle atrophy after high-dose radiotherapy.

Purpose: To determine the rate of change in the cross-sectional area of the masticatory muscles after radiotherapy.

Methods And Materials: Eligible patients had undergone unilateral radiotherapy between 1993 and 2000 and had a baseline CT scan, a comparable follow-up CT scan a minimum of 1 year later, and no recurrence of cancer. Fourteen patients had their CT series scanned into digital image files.