title: Resolution of maxillary sinus mucositis after endodontic treatment of maxillary teeth with apical periodontitis: a cone-beam computed tomography pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Apical periodontitis (AP) is an inflammatory response that can affect the maxillary sinus. This study characterized maxillary sinus mucositis adjacent to teeth with AP and assessed its resolution after endodontic treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty maxillary sinuses in subjects (n = 29) who had AP associated with maxillary posterior teeth were imaged with cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). When mucositis was detected, its resolution was assessed with CBCT scanning 3 months after treatment, and periapical healing was assessed using the periapical index (PAI) after 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Excluding 5 sinuses obscured by sinusitis, mucositis was detected in 14 of 25 sinuses (56%). Nonsignificant inverse association was observed between the mucosal lining thickness and the distance from the sinus to root apices with AP. Four noncompliant subjects were discontinued. Three months after treatment, mucositis was fully resolved in 3 of 10 subjects (30%), partially resolved in 3 of 10 subjects (30%), unchanged in 3 of 10 subjects (30%), and worsened in 1 subject (10%). Six months after treatment, 6 of 10 subjects (60%) had reduced PAI scores classified as healed or healing. The subject with expanded mucositis at 3 months was not healing at 6 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Within the limited sample of this pilot study, CBCT imaging revealed a lower-than-expected prevalence of mucositis adjacent to teeth with AP. Fully resolved mucositis was not common 3 months after endodontic treatment, suggesting that in specific cases it might linger beyond 3 months after the elimination of the endodontic infection. Because of the low statistical power, the association between the resolution of mucositis and periapical healing could not be explored.
authors: Discipline of Endodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Babak
authors: B
authors: Nurbakhsh
authors: Shimon
authors: S
authors: Friedman
authors: Gajanan V
authors: GV
authors: Kulkarni
authors: Bettina
authors: B
authors: Basrani
authors: Ernest
authors: E
authors: Lam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001641:Bicuspid; D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015523:Maxillary Sinusitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008963:Molar; D052016:Mucositis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010485:Periapical Periodontitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012390:Root Canal Therapy; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric