Prevalence of Zygomatic Air Cell Defect using Orthopantomogram

Abstract

Aim: To determine the prevalence, radiographic appearance, variations, characteristics and establishing dominant location and type of zygomatic air cell defect (ZACD) among the North Indian population. Materials and Methods: The panoramic radiographs of 2500 dental clinic outpatients were examined for the presence of ZACD for estimating the prevalence and characteristics of the ZACD. Results: ZACD was found in 63 patients with a prevalence of 2.5% with male predominance. Unilateral (70%) and unilocular appearance (78%) of ZACD were the dominant patterns. Patients with ZACD had a mean age of 37.4 years and a range of 19-78 years. Conclusion: The prevalence of ZACD among the Indian population is in accordance with the other studies carried out in other populations of the world. So it is important for surgeons to assess location of ZACD before planning any surgical procedure in order to avoid intraoperative complications.

Keywords

• mastoid process
• panaromic radiography
• pneumatization