Retromolar canal: Frequency in a Polish population based on CBCT and clinical implications - a preliminary study

A retromolar canal (RMC) is an anatomical variation of the mandibular canal located in the retromandibular area. Retromolar canals and their contents may be of great clinical importance for clinicians dealing with the discussed region. The analysis of the available literature indicates that RMC is not a rare phenomenon.

The purpose of the present study was to present the prevalence of RMC and its dependence on patient gender, as well as the location of RMC (unilateral or bilateral), by using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).

Two hundred CBCT examinations taken from the database of the Department of Dental and Maxillofacial Radiodiagnostics of the Medical University of Lublin, Poland, were analyzed by 2 independent observers (a fifth-year dentistry student and a dentist with 9 years of experience in the field of dental and maxillofacial radiodiagnostics). The research sample included 134 women and 66 men.

After comparing the results obtained by the 2 independent observers, the more experienced researcher excluded 9 cases from the study; RMC was ultimately found in 21/200 subjects (10.5%). The unilateral variant was observed in all 21 cases - 13/21 (61.9%) on the right side and 8/21 (38.1%) on the left side. Seven (5.2%) RMCs were found among the 134 women, while among the 66 men there were14 (21.2%) RMCs found.

On the basis of the conducted research, RMCs were found in 10.5% of cases. They were more common in men than in women. Cone-beam computed tomography is an examination that allows the determination of the position and course of RMC more precisely than panoramic X-rays.