Occurrence of maxillary sinus abnormalities detected by cone-beam CT and panoramic radiography in the patients receiving orthodontic treatment

Abstract

Objective The objective of this study was to investigate maxillary sinus abnormalities in the patients who received orthodontic treatment by using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and panoramic radiography. Methods The study sample comprised 480 consecutive patients who were candidates for orthodontic treatment and had taken CBCT and panoramic images at Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology between August 2016 and December 2016. The 480 patients' radiographs were used for detection of abnormalities in maxillary sinuses. The sinus abnormalities include retention pseudocyst, thickened sinus mucosa and antrolith etc. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests and Kappa statistics. Results The occurrence of maxillary sinus abnormalities detected in CBCT images was significantly higher than that in panoramic radiographs (χ2=346.32, P=0.000). Abnormalities were diagnosed in 40.8% of CBCT cases. Retention pseudocyst was the most detectable abnormality (18.2%), followed by thickened sinus mucosa (15.1%). There was a significant difference between genders (χ2=14.98, P=0.000). However, no significant difference could be found between the age groups (χ2=0.26, P=0.621). Conclusions Abnormalities in maxillary sinus could be more accurately detected in CBCT images than in panoramic radiographs. Maxillary sinus abnormalities are common among patients who receive orthodontic treatment, and retention pseudocyst was the most detectable abnormality. The patients’ gender had an effect on the occurrence of maxillary sinus abnormalities, but age had no effect. Key words: Orthodontic treatment; Abnormality of maxillary sinus; Cone beam computed tomography; Panoramic radiography