2014 Volume 63 Issue 1 Pages 17-22
This study was conducted to confirm the clinical usefulness of cone-beam CT for dental use (CBCT) in patients with odontogenic maxillary sinusitis and related problems. A total of 124 patients who underwent CBCT examinations between 2010 and 2011 were retrospectively evaluated. Two board- certified oral surgeons examined mucosal abnormalities of the maxillary sinus and other paranasal sinuses, and the distance between the involved tooth root and maxillary sinus using the reconstructed coronal and sagittal images. To survey the relationship between obstruction of the maxillary ostium and sinusitis, thickening of the maxillary sinus membrane was classified coronally into four types according to Kato's classification. As a result, there was a significant correlation between thickening of the membrane and the obstruction of the maxillary ostium. Close proximity between the involved tooth roots and the maxillary sinus floor was highly correlated with this disease, and we confirmed protrusion of the root into the maxillary sinus in many cases of sinusitis. Also, there was significant correlation between obstruction and ethmoidal thickenings. The maxillary first and second molars were more involved than the premolars and third molar, and the root most frequently associated with odontogenic sinusitis was the palatal root of both teeth. Although more research is needed to validate the use of CBCT, our results indicated that it is useful for diagnosing odontogenic sinusitis.
