AI-based computer-aided diagnosis for panoramic radiographs: Quantitative analysis of mandibular cortical morphology...

This study aimed to investigate AI-based computer-aided diagnosis (AI-CAD) for panoramic radiographs, especially quantitative evaluation of mandibular cortical morphology in relation to age and gender.

321 patients with jaw lesions who underwent panoramic radiography were prospectively included. The mandibular cortical morphology was analyzed with an AI-CAD that evaluated the degree of deformation of mandibular inferior cortex and mandibular cortical index (MCI) automatically. Those were analyzed in relation to age and gender, such as younger (≦ 20 years), middle (21-60 years) and older group (≧ 61 years) in men and women.

The degree of deformation in older men (33.0 ± 18.5) was higher than those of middle (25.0 ± 15.3, p = 0.030) and younger (32.5 ± 16.9, p = 0.993), and those in older women (46.2 ± 22.5) was higher than those of middle (19.4 ± 16.5, p < 0.001) and younger (22.4 ± 14.5, p < 0.001). The MCI of women was a significant difference for aging (p < 0.001), although those of men was not significant difference for aging (p = 0.189).

The AI-CAD could be a useful tool for the quantitative analysis of mandibular cortical morphology.