Anatomical alterations of the nasopalatine canal in dentate and edentulous patients at the front superior sector based on cone beam computed tomography

Abstract

Background: The nasopalatine canal (NPC) is a long and thin intraosseous passage, located in the anterior midline of the maxilla, connecting the palate with the floor of the nasal cavity. The objective of the study was to compare the measures of nasopalatine canal and its shape by cone beam tomography in dentate patients with respect to edentulous patients in the frontal anterior sector. Materials and methods: A descriptive and comparative study, 150 CT scans of anterosuperior dentate patients and 52 CT scans of anterosuperior edentulous patients were taken from the archive of the Imaging Department. Using the Excel program and its tool "random", 30 CT scans of dentate patients were selected as well as the 30 CT scans of edentulous. The anteroposterior distance of the upper third, middle third and lower third of the horizontal nasopalatine canal was measured on the oblique sagittal plane. To determine its height, the axial plane was taken from the level of the upper bifurcation to the palatal opening. The acquisition of images was done through the i-Dixel software of the 3D Accuitomo 170 MORITA, DICOM system. Results: The dentate patients present higher heights in relation to the edentulous patients. In transverse diameter, the size of NPC channel in edentulous patients is larger. The measurements at the lower, middle and upper levels in the cortices of the diameter of the NPC in dentate patients are lower in relation to the edentulous patients. Conclusion: Patients of 40 to 70 years old, male and female, with frontal anterior edentulism presented structural topographic variations that consist of greater width, smaller longitudinal dimension and larger transversal dimension being enlarged canals.