Avaliação radiográfica de nódulos pulpares em dentes decíduos – revisão de literatura

Abstract

Pulp nodules (NPs) found within the vital tooth root canal system can affect pulp physiology and lead to the development of periapical pathologies. When in deciduous dentition, endodontic complications may affect the development of permanent dentition. Of poor etiology, NPs are commonly identified as findings on intraoral radiographs, with variable prevalence. There are reports of statistical association between the occurrence of NP and systemic changes, leading to the belief that these calcifications may serve as predictive markers of these changes. In this sense, considering the importance of early detection of NPs, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) appears as a viable alternative, enabling three-dimensional evaluation in high resolution images, which may increase the diagnostic accuracy for detection of NPs. It is assumed that the greater possibility of visualization of the subtypes of NPs described in the literature would result in alteration of the prevalence of the various nodule occurrence modes, as well as allowing changes in the classifications adopted in the literature, as well as serving as a starting point for longitudinal studies for assessment of the association of nodules with systemic changes.