Cone beam computed tomography - extending its arm to explore new possibilities

Area of Science:

• Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
• Dental Imaging
• Pathology

Background:

• Benign osseous lesions of the jaws present a diagnostic challenge.
• Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) offers detailed imaging of jaw structures.
• Differentiating lesion types non-invasively is crucial for appropriate management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of CBCT greyscale values in differentiating benign jaw osseous lesions.
• To measure greyscale values of various jaw lesions.
• To correlate these values with histopathological diagnoses.

Main Methods:

• CBCT scans of histopathologically confirmed jaw osseous lesions were analyzed.
• Greyscale values of lesions were measured and recorded.
• Values were grouped by histopathological diagnosis and statistically evaluated.

Main Results:

• Mean greyscale value for cystic lesions was 1208.375 ± 93.
• Mean greyscale value for tumorous lesions was 1603 ± 425.5.
• A discernible difference in greyscale values was observed between lesion types.

Conclusions:

• CBCT greyscale values serve as a valuable tool for differentiating between groups of benign jaw osseous lesions.
• This imaging metric can assist in the non-invasive characterization of jaw lesions.
• Further research may refine the diagnostic accuracy of CBCT in this context.