Diagnostic accuracy of CBCT compared to panoramic radiography in predicting IAN exposure: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives The aim of this study is to verify whether the diagnostic accuracy of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) is superior to panoramic radiography (PR) in predicting inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) exposure during the lower third molar extraction. Materials and methods Eight electronic databases were searched up to September 2020. Studies that evaluated the accuracy (sensitivity, specificity, positive-predictive value, and negative predictive value) of both imaging methods were included. The gold standard was the visualization of the IAN exposure during the extraction of lower third molars. The gray literature was also used to include any other paper that might meet the eligibility criteria. The meta-analysis was performed with OpenMeta-Analyst and ReviewManager v.5.3 software. The methodology of the studies was evaluated using QUADAS-2. Results Among the search, three studies met all the eligibility criteria and were included in the qualitative and quantitative synthesis. The meta-analysis was conducted with all included studies. Accuracy values for CBCT were 95.1% for sensitivity (p=0.666) and 64.4% for specificity (p<0.001). For PR sensitivity and specificity, we observed 73.9% (p=0.101) and 24.8% (p<0.001), respectively. Conclusions Both exams were reliable for detecting positive cases of exposure of the IAN. However, CBCT had a better performance compared to PT in predicting IAN exposure during surgery.