Course of the mandibular canal in hemifacial microsomia: a retrospective computed tomography study

Zhixu Liu; Jian Cao; Yifeng Qian; Hao Sun; Yi Sun; Steve Guofang Shen; Xudong Wang

doi:10.1016/j.oooo.2019.03.017

Course of the mandibular canal in hemifacial microsomia: a retrospective computed tomography study

Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol. 2019 Nov;128(5):558-563. doi: 10.1016/j.oooo.2019.03.017. Epub 2019 Apr 1.

Authors

Zhixu Liu¹, Jian Cao¹, Yifeng Qian¹, Hao Sun¹, Yi Sun², Steve Guofang Shen¹, Xudong Wang³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Oral and Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, China.
² MFS IMPATH research group, Department of Imaging & Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, KU Leuven & Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
³ Department of Oral and Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Stomatology & Shanghai Research Institute of Stomatology, Shanghai, China. Electronic address: Xudongwang70@hotmail.com.

PMID: 31097392
DOI: 10.1016/j.oooo.2019.03.017

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the anatomic course of the mandibular canal in patients with hemifacial microsomia (HM).

Study design: In this retrospective study, 77 patients were included and stratified according to the Pruzansky-Kaban classification. The mandibular canal and the mandible were reconstructed on the basis of computed tomography data. The entrance, route, and exit of the mandibular canal (representing the entrance, route, and exit of the inferior alveolar nerve [IAN], respectively), and the antilingula were analyzed in different types of mandibular deformities in patients with HM.

Results: No significant difference in the course of the mandibular canal was detected between the affected and unaffected sides in patients with type I and type IIa HM. Abnormalities were observed in some patients with type IIb and type III HM. Significant differences were found between patients with type IIb and type III HM in the entrance (P = .015) and route (P = .001) of the canals. The antilingula was identified only in patients with type IIb and type III HM and was more common in patients with type III HM than in those with type IIb HM.

Conclusions: Variation of the anatomic course of mandibular canal exists in patients with Pruzansky-Kaban type IIb and type III HM. Evaluation of the course of the canal in patients with HM is recommended before surgical intervention to avoid IAN damage.

MeSH terms

Goldenhar Syndrome* / diagnostic imaging
Humans
Mandible / diagnostic imaging
Mandibular Nerve
Retrospective Studies
Tomography, X-Ray Computed