Bone density is higher in Brazilian Afro-descendant women than in Caucasians and Asians. Patient's age is associated with bone density and the MCI. The mandibular cortical index is inversely correlated with the peripheral densitometry results within the study ethnic population.

PurposeThe aim of this study was to assess and compare the diagnostic performance of panoramic and occlusal radiographs in detecting submandibular sialoliths.Materials and MethodsA total of 40 patients (20 cases and 20 controls) were included in this retrospective study. Cases were defined as subjects with a submandibular sialolith confirmed by computed tomography (CT), whereas controls did not have any submandibular calcifications. Three observers with different expertise levels assessed panoramic and occlusal radiographs of all subjects for the presence of sialoliths. Intraobserver and interobserver agreement were assessed using the kappa test. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive and negative predictive values, and the diagnostic odds ratio of panoramic and occlusal radiographs in screening for submandibular sialoliths were calculated for each observer.ResultsThe sensitivity and specificity values for occlusal and panoramic radiographs all ranged from 80% to 100%. The lowest values of sensitivity and specificity observed among the observers were 82.6% and 80%, respectively (P=0.001). Intraobserver and interobserver agreement were higher for occlusal radiographs than for panoramic radiographs, although panoramic radiographs demonstrated a higher overall accuracy.ConclusionBoth panoramic and occlusal radiographic techniques displayed satisfactory diagnostic performance and should be considered before using a CT scan to detect submandibular sialoliths.

A number of panoramic radiographic measurements have been associated with osteoporotic alterations. However, little is known about the differences in sensitivity and specificity among these measurements for screening low bone mineral density (BMD). Aim: To correlate and compare precision, sensitivity and specificity of panoramic radiomorphometric indices and fractal dimension (FD) for screening low BMD (i.e. osteopenia and osteoporosis). Methods: Sixty-eight female patients (42.78±15.59 years) were included in this study. Body mass index (BMI), mandibular cortical index (MCI), mandibular cortical width (MCW), FD and connectivity (C) were assessed. Low BMD was diagnosed by peripheral dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (p-DXA). Non-parametric correlations were assessed among all variables. In addition, sensitivity and specificity of MCI, MCW and FD were estimated for screening low BMD. Results: Significant correlation was found between FD and BMI (p=0.013; r=0.269). In addition, FD was the most sensitive method for screening low BMD (70.8%, p=0.001). FD and MCI presented a significant and relatively high sensitivity, whereas MCW presented a high specificity for screening low systemic BMD Conclusions: Among the analyzed methods, FD and MCI offer a significant and relatively high sensitivity, whereas MCW offers a high specificity for screening low BMD.

Stafne bone defects (SBDs) are asymptomatic lingual bony defects in mandible, which are usually detected as an incidental finding in plain radiographs. Similarly, simple bone cysts (SBCs) are most frequently found in posterior region of the mandible and also are asymptomatic. However, due to anatomical structures overlap in plain radiographs, there is a possibility of misdiagnosing SBD that often is diagnosed by presumptive diagnosis observed in plain radiograph. This report shows an unusual case that a SBC resembles a SBD.

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