Cone Beam CT Features and Oral Radiologist's Decision-making of Arrested Pneumatization of the Sphenoid Sinus

To assess the demographic and radiographic features of arrested pneumatization of the sphenoid sinus (APS) and their influence on the confidence of oral and maxillofacial radiologists (OMFRs) in diagnosing APS.

Reports of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) APS were retrieved, and the demographic and radiographic features were retrospectively analyzed. Five OMFRs assessed the CBCT images and their confidence in diagnosing APS. The OMFRs' experience (years), expertise (skull-base CBCT cases/month) and diagnostic confidence level were analyzed for agreement and associations with demographic or radiographic features.

Of 29 APS cases, 17 (58.6%) were females, and the mean age was 29.9±19 years. Twenty cases (69.0%) presented unilaterally, and 27 (93.1%) involved the sphenoid body. The most common accessory site was the pterygoid process (19, 65.5%). The vidian canal and foramen rotundum were involved in 27 (93.1%) and 17 (58.6%) cases, respectively. Most cases (28, 96.6%) were well-defined, corticated, and showed mixed attenuation. APS diagnostic confidence was higher among the expert OMFRs (72.4%-82.8% vs. 58.6%-62.1%).

Radiographic features differentiating APS from skull-base tumors were shown on CBCT. The confidence of OMFRs with similar experience in years depended on their frequency of examining CBCT cases involving the skull base.