Digital analysis of trabecular pattern in jaws of patients with sickle cell anemia.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize how the morphological features of the cancellous bone of the maxilla and mandible differ in patients with sickle cell anemia compared with normal subjects.


METHODS
Periapical radiographs of 18 young African American patients with sickle cell anemia and 18 control African Americans were digitized at 600 d.p.i. A customized computer program measured 24 morphological features of the trabecular and marrow architecture in the anterior maxilla and mandible. The mean values for each of the features were determined for the sickle cell and control groups and compared by anatomical site.


RESULTS
Patients with sickle cell anemia have a significant increase in area of the marrow (53% compared with 47% in controls) and a less complex trabecular structure as evidenced by fewer skeletal branch points per square cm (451 compared with 584 in controls in the anterior maxilla and, 553 compared with 678 in controls in the anterior mandible). All values are significantly different (P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The data support the hypothesis that an automated image-interpretation program can distinguish patients with sickle cell anemia from normal individuals.
White
S C
SC
Section of Oral Radiology, UCLA School of Dentistry, PO Box 951668, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1668, USA.
Cohen
J M
JM
Mourshed
F A
FA
D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008437:Maxilla / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010486:Periapical Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012984:Software; D013223:Statistics as Topic