Juxta-Apical Radiolucency: Prevalence, Characterization, and Association With the Third Molar Status

Publication date: April 2018
Source:Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Volume 76, Issue 4
Author(s): Eduarda Helena Leandro Nascimento, Anne Caroline Costa Oenning, Mariana Rocha Nadaes, Gláucia Maria Bovi Ambrosano, Francisco Haiter-Neto, Deborah Queiroz Freitas
PurposeThis study aimed to investigate the prevalence of juxta-apical radiolucency (JAR), assessing its association with third molar status and describing its radiologic features through panoramic radiography.Materials and MethodsWe evaluated 1,050 radiographs (1,830 third molars) for the presence of JAR. The JAR and control groups were classified according to the third molar's angulation, impaction, and root development. The presence of radiographic signs of proximity between the mandibular canal and third molar and the imaging features of JAR also were recorded.ResultsJAR was identified in 116 patients (11%) and 130 third molars (7.1%), being significantly associated with female patients and with the second and third decades of life. There also was an association with teeth with a vertical angulation and complete root formation. Radiographic signs of proximity to the mandibular canal were absent in 66.2% of JAR cases. In most cases, there was lamina dura in the juxta-apical area that appeared to overlap the mandibular canal and to have a cortical outline.ConclusionsJAR is not a rare imaging finding. Given its possible relationship with nerve injuries and its differential diagnostic possibilities, knowing the characteristics of JAR is important to assist professionals in treatment planning and making the correct diagnosis.



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