Assessment of efficacy of ultrasound in the diagnosis of peri-apical pathologies

Corresponding author: Inderpreet Singh Oberoi,PG Scholar,Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Government Dental College and Hospital, Srinagar This article may be cited as:Hussain A , Oberoi IS and Dhingra K.Assessment of efficacy of ultrasound in the diagnosis of peri-apical pathologiesInt J Com Health and Med Res 2017;3(1):20-23 Article Received: 04-02-17 Accepted On: 09-02-2017 NTRODUCTION Most frequent pathologic lesions associated with alveolar bone are the periapical lesions (PLs). They occur in relation to the tissues around the apex of a tooth root, the periodontal membrane and the alveolar bone. They are usually the sequelae of pulpal inflammation or necrosis with inflammatory mediators spreading through the apical foramen to initiate a periapical lesion. 2 Colonization and proliferation of micro-organisms occurs subsequently after the pulpal necrosis within the root canal system with the release of bacteria toxins and inflammatory mediators into the periapical region.Ultrasound (US) is a noninvasive, inexpensive and painless imaging method. Unlike X-rays, it does not cause harmful ionizing radiation. US can be used for both hard and soft tissue detection. US is a reliable diagnostic technique in determining the pathological nature of periapical lesions. It has been used in guided fine-needle aspiration, measurement of tongue cancer thickness, and diagnosis of metastasis to cervical lymph nodes. 6 Hence; we planned this study to evaluate the diagnostic capability ultrasound imaging in the identifying and making differential diagnosis of PLs. MATERIALS & METHODS The present study was conducted in the department of oral medicine of the institute and included assessment of 20 patients of age 18 to 60 years who were found to have peri-apical lesions on radiograph. Those periapical lesions which appeared as radiopaque on the radiographs were eliminated from the study group. I Background: Periapical lesions (PLs) are the most frequently observed pathologies associated with alveolar bone. Ultrasound (US) is a non-invasive, inexpensive and painless imaging method. Unlike X-rays, it does not cause harmful ionizing radiation. US can be used for both hard and soft tissue detection.Hence; we planned this study to evaluate the diagnostic capability ultrasound imaging in the identifying and making differential diagnosis of PLs. Materials & methods: The present study included assessment of 20 patients of age 18 to 60 years who were found to have peri-apical lesions on radiograph. All the subjects underwent ultrasonographic examination. All the examinations including real-time and Color Doppler imaging were performed in the periapical area extraorally. The ultrasonographic images were analyzed based on the following principles as mentioned by previous authors. All the results were recorded and analyzed. Student t test and univariate analysis was used for the assessment of level of significance. Results:On histopathology examination, 18 cases were found to be peri-radicular cyst out of which 15 cases were reported to be peri-radicular cyst on ultrasonography. Correlation was found in 15 cases of peri-apical radicular cysts. In case of perigranuloma, correlation was observed only in one case.Conclusion: In comparison to conventional radiography, ultrasonography appears as a better imaging modality in the diagnosis of peri-apical lesions.