title: MDCT evaluation of nasopalatine canal morphometry and variations: An analysis of 100 patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this study was to investigate the possible variations in morphology of nasopalatine canal (NPC) morphometry depending on age, gender and absence of anterior incisors using multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 100 patients (50 men, 50 women) with a mean age of 43.29±18.81 (SD) years (range: 18-90 years) who have undergone head MDTC were included into the study. Foramen nasalis diameter (P1), foramen incisivum diameter (P2), NPC length (P3), distance between buccal wall of incisive foramen and facial side of the buccal bone (P4), distances between buccal bone wall of NPC and facial side of buccal bone (P5), distance between mid-NPC buccal wall and facial side of buccal bone (P6), distance between buccal wall of NPC and the apex of anterior central incisors (P7) and NPC angle (P8) were measured. Formal variations in NPC were searched for. Differences in morphometric data were searched using Student t-test or Mann-Whitney test. Gender-based analysis of the variations was done with the χ2test. Pearson's test was used to search for correlation between morphometric data and age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  P1 was larger in men (3.72±1.41mm) than in women (3.07±1.34mm) (P<0.001). Similarly, P3 was larger in men (13.68±2.73mm) than in women (11.43±2.78mm) (P<0.001). No differences in the other NPC measurements (P2, P4, P5, P6, P7, P8) were found between men and women. Morphological variations in NPC (cylindrical, hourglass, banana shape, funnel shape, single canal, Y-type canal, parallel canal and others) were detected with frequencies ranging from 8 to 65.3%. A significant negative correlation was found between NCP measurements and patient age for P3 (r=-0.311; P=0.002), P4 (r=-0.267; P=0.007) and P8 (r=-0.318; P<0.001). New NPC variations, which were not reported before were found in 19% of our patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NPC shows myriad potential variations that have various prevalences. It is assumed that familiarity with these variations may help decrease the incidence of complications during facial or dental surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of anatomy, faculty of medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, 03200 Afyonkarahisar, Turkey. Electronic address: yucel94@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gönül
authors.affiliation: Department of otolaryngology, faculty of medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bucak
authors.affiliation: Department of oral and maxillofacial surgery, faculty of dentistry, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Atalay
authors.affiliation: Department of radiology, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beker-Acay
authors.affiliation: Faculty of medicine 3rd term students, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Çalişkan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of medicine 3rd term students, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sakarya
authors.affiliation: Faculty of medicine 3rd term students, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Soysal
authors.affiliation: Faculty of medicine 3rd term students, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cimbar
authors.affiliation: Faculty of medicine 3rd term students, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Özbek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008437:Maxilla / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D009666:Nose / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D010159:Palate / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: MDCT; Morphometry; Nasopalatine canal (NPC); Variations