Dental flat panel conebeam CT in the evaluation of patients with inflammatory sinonasal disease: Diagnostic efficacy and radiation dose savings

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: CT is the imaging modality of choice to study the paranasal sinuses; unfortunately, it involves significant radiation dose. Our aim was to assess the diagnostic validity, image quality, and radiation-dose savings of dental conebeam CT in the evaluation of patients with suspected inflammatory disorders of the paranasal sinuses.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We prospectively studied 40 patients with suspected inflammatory disorders of the sinuses with dental conebeam CT and standard CT. Two radiologists analyzed the images independently, blinded to clinical information. The image quality of both techniques and the diagnostic validity of dental conebeam CT compared with the reference standard CT were assessed by using 3different scoring systems. Image noise, signal-to-noise ratio, and contrast-to-noise ratio were calculated for both techniques. The absorbed radiation dose to the lenses and thyroid and parotid glands was measured by using a phantom and dosimeter chips. The effective radiation dose for CT was calculated.

RESULTS: All dental conebeam CT scans were judged of diagnostic quality. Compared with CT, the conebeam CT image noise was 37.3% higher (P 〈001) and the SNR of the bone was 75% lower (P 〈001). The effective dose of our conebeam CT protocol was 23 μSv. Compared with CT, the absorbed radiation dose to the lenses and parotid and thyroid glands with conebeam CT was 4%, 7.8%, and 7.3% of the dose delivered to the same organs by conventional CT (P 〈001).

CONCLUSIONS: Dental conebeam CT is a valid imaging procedure for the evaluation of patients with inflammatory sinonasal disorders.