Differentiation of periapical granuloma and radicular cyst from radiographic measures on periapical radiographs

Abstract

Periapical lesions are amongst the most important oral radiolucent lesions, likewise periapical granuloma and radicular cysts are the most prevalent of periapical lesions. The purpose of this thesis is to study the possibility of diagnosing the two lesions based on their radiographic diameters. Materials and Methods: 138 samples of teeth with radiolucent lesions on their apex were picked randomly. After measuring the size on periapical films the teeth were extracted and examined by pathologist. The result was statistically studied and analyzed. Using SPSS 15 software and ROC Graph, the cut of point for differentiating between periapical granuloma and radicular cysts was achieved. Results: For better assessing radiographic cut of point between two lesions, ROC graph was used. Using this graph, the best radiographic effective size for differentiating between periapical granuloma and radicular cysts was calculated to be 8.2 mm. Further examinations measured the sensitivity of tests at 83% and specificity of tests at 79%. Conclusion: Based on this study using 8.2 mm as cut of point, 83% of periapical granulomas and 79% radicular cysts were diagnosed correctly.