Prevalence of pathologic findings in the floor of the maxillary sinuses on cone beam computed tomography images

This study evaluated pathologic findings in the floor of the maxillary sinuses on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. CBCT scans of 500 subjects, mainly taken for dental implant planning, were evaluated. The pathologic findings in the 1000 maxillary sinuses (left and right) were categorized into 4 classes: mucosal thickening, mucous retention pseudocyst, partial opacification, and total opacification. Pathologic alterations were equally found in both sinuses (48.2% of right maxillary sinuses and 48.4% of left maxillary sinuses). There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 sides (P > 0.05). Likewise, there was no statistically significant difference in the findings between the male and female subjects (P > 0.05). Mucosal thickening was the most commonly found alteration (37.5% of examined sinuses), followed by mucous retention pseudocyst (7.1%), partial opacification (2.0%), and total opacification (1.1%). Incidental findings are common in CBCT scans. The recognition of such alterations in the maxillary sinuses is relevant, as the presence of such anomalies may require modifications in treatment planning.