title: Prevalence of bifid mandibular condyle in a Turkish population.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of bifid mandibular condyle (BMC) using panoramic radiographs supported by different radiographic techniques. A retrospective study was carried out by evaluating panoramic radiographs of 18,798 patients referred to the Department of Dentomaxillofacial Radiology. T-tests were used to compare the frequency of BMC between left and right sides and between female and male patients. In this study, 98 patients (0.52%) were found to have BMC. Of these patients, 51 (52%) were females and 47 (48%) were males. Of the 98 patients, 71 (72.4%) had unilateral and 27 (27.6%) had bilateral BMC. A total of 125 BMCs were found in 98 patients. No statistically significant differences were found between the right and left BMCs or between female and male patients (P > 0.05). Because symptoms associated with BMC are either absent or minimal, it is usually discovered as an incidental finding during routine radiographic examination. Different appearances of BMC can be seen on panoramic radiographs. The exact orientation of the condyles can only be determined using 3D imaging techniques. BMC may be a more frequent condition in the Turkish population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentomaxillofacial Radiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Erciyes University, Turkey. dt.sahman@gmail.com
authors.forename: Halil
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sahman
authors.forename: Ahmet E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Sekerci
authors.forename: Elif T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Ertas
authors.forename: Meryem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Etoz
authors.forename: Yildiray
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sisman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D007569:Jaw Abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008335:Mandibular Condyle / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult