Incidental findings from cone beam computed tomography of the maxillofacial region: a descriptive retrospective study

Abstract

This study underscores the need to thoroughly examine all CBCT volumes for clinically significant findings within and beyond the region of interest.

Incidence and frequency of nondental incidental findings on cone-beam computed tomography

“…In this study, no SBC was found; one reason may be the low prevalence of the finding, which ranges between 0.08% and 0.4% (Allareddy et al, 2012;Assaf et al, 2014;Correll et al, 1980;Price et al, 2012). Additionally, a reason may be that the finding appears more often in male patients and at a mean age of 45e60 years (Allareddy et al, 2012;Correll et al, 1980;Murdoch-Kinch, 2009;Schneider et al, 2014a;Shimizu et al, 2006).…”

“…Other studies that examined the prevalence of CAC reported findings ranging from 1.5% to 43% (Allareddy et al, 2012;Damaskos et al, 2015;Price et al, 2012). This variation shows the potential difficulty of diagnosing CAC.…”

“…In addition to a region of primary interest, there could be other important findings that potentially concern a patient's health. Some incidental findings are frequently described in the literature: for example, mucosal thickening and the frequency of paranasal sinus cyst (Drage et al, 2013) or the frequency of carotid artery calcification (Price et al, 2012).…”

“…Patients consequently enjoy better care and treatment outcomes and reduced treatment time and complications (Price et al, 2012). Nevertheless, CBCTs can also be used for a variety of indications, such as calcified anomalies (Lanzer et al, 2015), the anatomy of the retromolar canal (Filo et al, 2015), or for identifying and measuring the alveolar loop (Filo et al, 2014).…”

An anatomical variant: evaluation of accessory canals of the canalis sinuosus using cone beam computed tomography

“…With the development of three-dimensional (3D) imaging modalities, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) has gained widespread acceptance in dentistry. It provides high resolution, cross-sectional view and diagnostic reliability at lower costs and radiation doses [1,12,18]. It allows detailed multiplanar evaluation of maxillofacial region to be conducted for further analysis of the anatomical structures which could not have been detected by conventional imaging modalities [4,6,10].…”