Objective. This study aimed to determine the radiographic characteristics of odontogenic myxomas (OMs) and their associations. Materials and Methods. The study enrolled radiographs of patients taken between 2005 and 2019 with a confirmed histopathological diagnosis of central OM. OM radiographic features were evaluated, including location, border, locularity, involved area, the number of included teeth, root resorption, tooth displacement, bone expansion, bone perforation, and periosteal reaction. Fisher’s exact test was used for statistical analysis. Results. Significant associations were found between the OM border and the affected jaw ( ), locularity ( ), involved areas ( ), and bone perforation ( ). OMs with an ill-defined border were associated with maxillary lesions, multilocularity, dentate areas, and cortical bone perforation. The number of included teeth (2 or fewer or 3 or more) was significantly associated with locularity ( ), involved area ( ), and bone expansion ( ). Larger OMs including 3 or more teeth, were associated with a multilocular appearance, dentate areas, and bone expansion. Conclusion. The border of OM and the number of included teeth are related to other radiographic appearances. Understanding these relationships could help in treatment decisions and help better understand the nature of OM.
Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) has emerged as a promising tool for the analysis of the upper airway, leveraging on its ability to provide three-dimensional information, minimal radiation exposure, affordability, and widespread accessibility. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in CBCT for airway analysis has shown improvements in the accuracy and efficiency of diagnosing and managing airway-related conditions. This review aims to explore the current applications of AI in CBCT for airway analysis, highlighting its components and processes, applications, benefits, challenges, and potential future directions. A comprehensive literature review was conducted, focusing on studies published in the last decade that discuss AI applications in CBCT airway analysis. Many studies reported the significant improvement in segmentation and measurement of airway volumes from CBCT using AI, thereby facilitating accurate diagnosis of airway-related conditions. In addition, these AI models demonstrated high accuracy and consistency in their application for airway analysis through automated segmentation tasks, volume measurement, and 3D reconstruction, which enhanced the diagnostic accuracy and allowed predictive treatment outcomes. Despite these advancements, challenges remain in the integration of AI into clinical workflows. Furthermore, variability in AI performance across different populations and imaging settings necessitates further validation studies. Continued research and development are essential to overcome current challenges and fully realize the potential of AI in airway analysis.
High broth viscosity due to the accumulation of hyaluronic acid (HA) causes a limited yield of HA. It is a major problem of HA production using Streptococcus zooepidemicus. Extractive fermentation via in situ product recovery (ISPR) was utilized to enhance the HA production. Resins from Amberlite: IRA400 Cl; IRA900 Cl; IRA410 Cl; IRA402 Cl; and IRA67 were tested for the HA adsorption. IRA67 showed high adsorption capacity on HA. The study of the adsorption via a 2 L stirred tank bioreactor of S. zooepidemicus fermentation was investigated to elucidate the adsorption of HA onto IRA67 in dispersed and integrated internal column systems. The application of a dispersed IRA67 improved the HA production compared to the fermentation without resin addition by 1.37-fold. The HA production was further improved by 1.36-fold with an internal column (3.928 g/L) over that obtained with dispersed IRA67. The cultivation with an internal column shows the highest reduction of viscosity value after the addition of IRA67 resin: from 58.8 to 23.7 (mPa·s), suggesting the most effective ISPR of HA. The improved biosynthesis of HA indicated that an extractive fermentation by ISPR adsorption is effective and may streamline the HA purification.
A 28-year-old female patient was referred for panoramic radiography during a regular dental check-up. The dentist pointed out an additional suspicion of odontogenic maxillary sinusitis as she had complained of nasal obstruction, nasal discharge, postnasal drip, and frontal headache at the time. In this present case, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging modality was utilized to evaluate the paranasal sinuses and detect any pathologic signs. This study aims to highlight the potential value of the modality for the identification of paranasal sinus diseases by presenting a rare finding of an ethmoid sinolith associated with a persistent ostiomeatal complex inflammation. The insufficient data currently available on the incidence of ethmoid sinoliths emphasize the significance of reports intended to inform practitioners about the imaging properties of these calcifications. To the author's knowledge, this is the first case report that demonstrated the primary utilization of dental CBCT in detecting ethmoid sinolith in a straightforward manner.