CONE BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY PRESENTATION OF CASES WITH PRE-ERUPTIVE INTRACORONAL RESORPTION: A CASE SERIES AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Abstract

<h3>Background</h3> Pre-eruptive intracoronal resorption (PEIR) is a rare condition, characterized by the existence of a radiographic radiolucent area inside the coronal dentin before dental eruption. The etiology for PEIR is unknown. However, the following conditions are the proposed etiology for PEIR: being resorptive in nature, local inflammation, ectopic positioning of teeth or teeth with abnormal contact, dental development defects, systemic conditions (herpes <b>z</b>oster infection). <h3>Objective</h3> This report presents the cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of 3 cases with PEIR and describes the pattern of resorptive defects in these cases. <h3>Materials and Methods/Clinical and Radiographic Findings</h3> Cases 1 and 2: A 66-year-old female and a 54-year-old male presented for implant evaluation. CBCT images of the first case showed a radiolucent intracoronal area involving an impacted tooth #16, which encroached on the pulp chamber. CBCT images of the second case showed the same radiographic appearance involving the unerupted tooth #1. Case 3: A 64-year-old male came for evaluation of the airway. CBCT images revealed an intracoronal radiolucent area involving the impacted tooth #17 with an intact pulp. The involved tooth was asymptomatic in all cases, and no history of trauma was reported by patients. <h3>Results/Differential or Definitive Interpretation:</h3> On the basis of radiographic presentations and clinical findings, pre-eruptive intracoronal resorption was considered the most likely diagnosis. The management of such lesion ranges from no treatment to surgery, surgical exposure, tooth extraction. The prevalence of PEIR reported on panoramic images in a previous study for both the subject and the tooth were 1.55% to 27.3 % and 0.5% to 2.1%, respectively. The prevalence of PEIR as shown by CBCT in the previous study were 9.5% to 15.1% for subject prevalence and 1.93% to 3.5% for tooth prevalence. The previous study showed that a single tooth was usually affected with PEIR in an individual and that the most commonly affected teeth were the premolars and the molars. <h3>Discussion</h3> PEIR affects the coronal dentin of unerupted teeth. The etiology for PEIR is unknown, and it may be commonly misdiagnosed as dentinal caries because of radiographic similarities. These lesions are usually identified incidentally during radiographic evaluation, and early detection is important for effective management. The diagnosis should be made on the basis of clinical and radiographic findings, and CBCT imaging is a valuable adjunct for early diagnosis.