Prevalência de lesões endo-periodontais em uma subpopulação brasileira: um estudo em imagens de tomografia computadorizada de feixe cônico

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine, through tomographic imaging, the prevalence of endo-periodontal lesions (EPLs) in individuals from a Brazilian subpopulation, and to analyze the possible association of these lesions with demographic factors (gender and age) and affected teeth (incisors, canines, premolars, and upper and lower molars). This retrospective, observational, and crosssectional study included the analysis of cone beam computed tomography images from the database of the Radiology Clinic at the Faculty of Dentistry, Federal University of Juiz de Fora. The study analyzed images from 109 patients of both sexes, aged between 18 and 60 years, totaling 1,603 teeth. The images were evaluated by two trained and calibrated examiners, who assessed the presence of EPL with or without root damage. Data on gender, age, and the tooth affected by EPL were also collected. To assess intra- and inter-examiner agreement, Kappa indices were calculated. Chisquare or Fisher’s exact tests were used to examine the association between nominal qualitative variables. The results indicated a prevalence of EPL of 0.4%. No significant associations were observed between EPL prevalence and tooth type (p = 0.129), gender (p = 0.381), or age group (p = 0.416). The lack of significant associations between the tested variables is believed to be related to the low number of EPL cases diagnosed in the sample. Despite the low prevalence of EPLs, the importance of diagnosing these lesions is highlighted, given their challenging treatment and uncertain prognosis.