Radio-anatomical Study of the Greater Palatine Canal and the Pterygopalatine Fossa in a Lebanese Population: A Consideration for Maxillary Nerve Block.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to describe the morphology of the component, greater palatine canal-pterygopalatine fossa (GPC-PPF), in a Lebanese population using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) technology.


METHODS
CBCT images of 79 Lebanese adult patients (38 females and 41 males) were included in this study, and a total of 158 cases were evaluated bilaterally. The length and path of the GPCs-PPFs were determined, and the data obtained analyzed statistically.


RESULTS
In the sagittal plane, of all the GPCs-PPFs assessed, the average length was 35.02 mm on the right and 35.01 mm on the left. The most common anatomic path consisted in the presence of a curvature resulting in an internal narrowing whose average diameter was 2.4 mm on the right and 2.45 mm on the left. The mean diameter of the upper opening was 5.85 mm on the right and 5.82 mm on the left. As for the lower opening corresponding to the greater palatine foramen, the right and left average diameters were 6.39 mm and 6.42 mm, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Within the limits of this study, we concluded that throughout the Lebanese population, the GPC-PPF path is variable with a predominance of curved one (77.21% [122/158] in both the right and left sides); however, the GPC-PPF length does not significantly vary according to gender and side.
Department of Oral Pathology and Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon.
Georges
G
Aoun
Department of Dentomaxillofacial Radiology and Imaging, School of Dentistry, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon.
Ibrahim
I
Nasseh
Department of Dentomaxillofacial Radiology and Imaging, School of Dentistry, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon.
Sayde
S
Sokhn
Cone-beam computed tomography; Lebanese population; greater palatine canal; greater palatine foramen; pterygopalatine fossa