Evaluation of prevalence and pattern of maxillary sinus mucosal thickening in cone beam computed tomography of dental implant candidates in Shiraz, Iran

BACKGROUND AND AIM: This study aimed to assess maxillary sinus floor membrane thickness and ostium patency (OP) in patients undergoing cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) evaluation for implant placement in the posterior maxilla. Mucosal thickening (MT) could be cause of post-operative complications in implant procedures; awareness of this incidence could help proper detection and further success of implantation. METHODS: The CBCT scans of 620 implant candidates were examined and MT of >= 2 mm was considered pathological. The mucosal appearance, the OP as "patent" or "obstructed", and unilateral or bilateral MT was assessed. Age, gender, smoking condition, and season were considered. Chi-square test was used to show the association between different variants in our study. A value of P < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: An MT >= 2 mm was detected in 39.8% of patients; cases were mostly bilateral (56.3%) and detected during the winter (38.1%). There was a higher incidence among male patients (59.9%). Most participants who smoked had an MT >= 2 mm (70.8%). The irregular shape was the most prevalent appearance (43.5%). Ostium obstruction was observed in (55.7%) of sinuses with MT and was mostly seen as unilateral sinus involvement. The complete appearance had the highest risk of ostium obstruction (100%) and the round shape had the lowest (17.3%). CONCLUSION: The present study revealed that maxillary sinus MT was highly prevalent during the winter and among smokers and men. Complete and unilateral type of MT is associated with an increased risk of ostium obstruction. Therefore, the precise study of a CBCT scan could influence dental implant planning or necessitate special consideration.