Efficacy of bone marrow cytologic evaluations in detecting occult cancellous invasion.

Objectives/hypothesis: Determine the accuracy of bone marrow cytologic evaluations in detecting occult cancellous invasion by squamous cell carcinomas (SCCa) beyond the original margins of bone resection that would have gone undetected without the use of intraoperative bone-marrow margin analysis.

Study Design: Retrospective single institution cohort study.

Methods: Retrospective chart review of imaging, clinical, pathological, and follow-up data of 51 patients who underwent mandibular resections with intraoperative bone-marrow cytologic evaluation.