Volumetric changes in apical radiolucencies of endodontically treated teeth assessed by cone-beam computed tomography 1 year after orthograde retreatment.
BACKGROUND
Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) allows us to assess in 3 dimensions the location and size of periapical radiolucencies. We aimed to assess by CBCT scans the volumetric changes of periapical radiolucencies in endodontically treated teeth 1 year after orthograde retreatment.


METHODS
Forty-five root-filled teeth with persistent apical periodontitis requiring endodontic orthograde retreatment from 37 individuals were included in the study. The research protocol was approved by the VU University Medical Center Amsterdam ethics committee (2007/265), and the participants signed a letter of consent. We made 2 CBCT scans for every patient, the first one before retreatment and the second one a year later. Two observers measured independently the volume of radiolucencies on CBCT images by using the AMIRA software. The intraclass correlation coefficient was used to evaluate interobserver agreement, and the Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to assess pretreatment and post-treatment volume size.


RESULTS
The intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.994 and 0.998 for the scans before retreatment and 1 year after, respectively. The recall rate was 78% for the teeth and 73% for the patients. The volumetric change in periapical radiolucencies 1 year after retreatment was statistically significant (z = -3.112, P < .005). The volume of periapical radiolucencies reduced in 20 teeth (57%), remained unchanged in 8 (23%), and increased in 7 (20%).


CONCLUSIONS
One year after endodontic orthograde retreatment, the volume of periapical radiolucencies reduced significantly in 57% of the teeth.
Department of Endodontology, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University of Amsterdam and VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address: marellim@gmail.com.
Maria Elissavet
ME
Metska
Azin
A
Parsa
Irene Helena Adriana
IH
Aartman
Paul Rudolf
PR
Wesselink
Ahmet Rifat
AR
Ozok
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D054893:Cone-Beam Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010485:Periapical Periodontitis / Q000628:therapy; D010486:Periapical Tissue / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019233:Retreatment; D012184:Retrograde Obturation / Q000379:methods*; D019227:Tooth Apex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019553:Tooth, Nonvital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
Cone beam computed tomography; endodontically treated teeth; periapical radiolucency; volumetric change