Assessment of Frequency and Anatomical Characteristics of Haller Cells in Cone-Beam Computed Tomography Scans of Patients Referring to a Private Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology Clinic During 2015-2017

Background and Aim: Haller cells are one of the anatomical variations in the orbital area, which are important in endoscopic surgical procedures and have a role in the pathogenesis of some diseases including sinusitis and chronic craniofacial pain. The frequency of Haller cells has been reported in a wide range, which can be attributed to several factors. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and anatomi-cal characteristics of Haller cells. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was performed on 381 patients referring to a private oral and maxillofacial radiology clinic during 2015-2017. These patients needed cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) for various reasons. All CBCT scans were observed by a radiologist. The results were statistically analyzed by Chi-square test using SPSS version 16.0 software. Results: From 381 patients, 34 patients (8.9%) had Haller cells. Sixteen patients (47.05%) had Haller cells on the right side, 15 patients (44.11%) showed these cells on the left side, while 3 patients (8.82%) had these cells on both sides. On the right side, the oval shape showed the highest frequency (n=9; 47.3%). 36.8% and 15.7% of the right-sided Haller cells were round (n=7) and pyramidal (n=3), respectively. On the left side, the circular shape had the highest frequency (n=8, 44.4%). Furthermore, 27.7%, 16.7%, and 11.1% of the left-sided Haller cells were oval (n=5), pyramidal (n=3), and teardrop-shaped (n=2), respectively. Conclusion: The prevalence of Haller cells in our study was 8.9%. Genetic and racial factors, radiographic techniques, and the age range of patients are some of the reasons for different results

Age Estimation by Kvaal’s Method Using CBCT Scans of Mandibular Canine Teeth in an Iranian Population

Introduction: Age estimation of individuals older than 21 years remains a challenge in forensic medicine. This study sought to assess the accuracy of age estimation by Kvaal’s method using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans of mandibular canine teeth in an Iranian population. Materials and Methods: In this cross-validation study, information of 150 test subjects and 30 controls was collected from the files of patients presenting to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, School of Dentistry from 2014 to 2015. The parameters used in the Kvaal’s method were measured in mandibular canine teeth on CBCT scans of patients. First, the regression formula suggested by Kvaal et al, was used for age estimation. Then we designed our own formula for age estimation according to Kvaal’s method in our Iranian population and the fitness of statistical model was assessed. Results: Use of multiple linear regression model for assessment of the correlation of parameters in Kvaal’s method according to CBCT images of mandibular canines and age in a step by step fashion showed that all variables namely pulp length/root length, pulp length/tooth length, pulp width/root width at the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) and pulp width/root width at the mid-point of CEJ and mid-root were significant in age estimation (P<0.005 for all four). In this model, R2 was found to be 0.567, which indicated appropriate fitness of the regression model this should be revised "optimal". In this model, no significant linear correlation was noted between independent variables such that the variance inflation factor was maximally 1.4. Conclusions: Although most of the variables mentioned by Kvaal were effective in age estimation, some errors were seen in age estimation in the modeling and cross-validation phase. Thus, some other variables need to be included in the model to increase the accuracy of Kvaal’s formula in the Iranian population