A retrospective study of panoramic radiographs for zygomatic air cell defect in children

Abstract

Background and Aim: The aim was to determine the prevalence of zygomatic air cell defect (ZACD) among children of Indian origin and also to determine the dominant form of ZACD. Materials and Methods: One thousand six hundred and eighty-eight routine panoramic radiographs of subjects between 7 and 18 years, processed between January 2006 and January 2009 were screened, recorded and analyzed for ZACD. Results: Of the 1688 panoramic radiographs examined, 768 were of males and 920 of females. The radiographs were divided into two groups, Group I comprising of subjects in the age 7-12 years and other Group II in the age range 13-18 years. ZACD was found in 50 subjects, accounting for prevalence of 2.96%. Other occurrences found were unilateral 38 cases, bilateral 12, unilocular 20 and multilocular 42 respectively. Conclusion: This study described the prevalence and characteristics of ZACD among selected Indian children. It is essential to know and determine this variant of normal anatomy and differentiate it from pathologies.

Keywords

• Mastoid
• panoramic radiography
• temporal bone
• zygomatic