Radiographic and cone-beam computed tomography characterization of Chevron lucency in 82 clinically healthy maxillary...

The apex of the canine tooth is surrounded by the periodontal ligament and alveolar bone, where the periapical cancellous bone may radiographically present as a V-shaped radiolucent area known as the "chevron lucency" (CL). Although CL in healthy maxillary canine teeth of dogs is considered a normal radiographic finding, its characterization on dental radiographs remains challenging due to the two-dimensional limitations of this imaging modality. This retrospective descriptive study aimed to morphologically characterize the radiographic and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) features of CLs in clinically healthy maxillary canine teeth of dogs and to determine which imaging modality provided superior diagnostic reliability for their identification and classification. Dental radiographs and CBCT images of 82 clinically healthy maxillary canine teeth from 41 dogs were retrospectively analyzed to evaluate key imaging features of the periapical region, including CL presence, shape, symmetry, lamina dura appearance, periodontal ligament space, and periapical cancellous bone pattern. CBCT demonstrated almost perfect inter-observer agreement for CL presence, shape, and symmetry (κ > 0.81), outperforming intraoral radiography, which showed only moderate-to-substantial agreement for the same features (κ = 0.46-0.78). The irregular shape was the most common CL morphology in both imaging modalities (47.7% in radiography; 65.7% in CBCT). Body weight and sex were the primary predictors of CL identification, with heavier dogs showing higher odds of CL detection (OR = 1.17 per kg; 95% CI: 1.06-1.28). In conclusion, CBCT provides greater diagnostic reliability than intraoral radiography for characterizing CL and periapical structures in maxillary canine teeth of dogs and should be considered when radiographic findings are inconclusive or detailed morphological assessment is required for clinical decision-making.