Odontogenic maxillary sinusitis diagnosed using conebeam x-ray CT

We evaluated the usefulness of conebeam x-ray CT in the diagnosis of odontogenic maxillary sinusitis in 21 patients. Among teeth causing odontogenic maxillary sinusitis, 95% had apical lesions after root canal treatment. Most root canals were filled with filling materials incompletely. Apical lesions in inappropriately treated teeth thus caused odontogenic maxillary sinusitis. Conebeam CT involves 3-dimensional isotropic voxel image date in up to 512 frames for transaxial, coronal, and sagittal planes, so resolution in imaging on the body axis was especially high. Multiplanar reconstruction and volume rendering images at any optional plane could be obtained without interpolation. The relationship between causative teeth and the maxillary sinus could be observed and measured, and odontogenic maxillary sinusitis accurately diagnosed. In addition to the accurate diagnosis of apical lesions, maxilla, and maxillary sinus, periodontal ligament space, lamina dura, pulp cavity, root canal, canal-treated root, apical periodontitis, alveolar ostitis, marginal periodontitis of causative teeth could be observed. Metal artifacts were minimized, making conebeam CT useful in the diagnosis of periodontal tissue and causative teeth, including root-canal-treated and crown-restored teeth. (author)