Radiographic evaluation of periapical lesions with and without biopsy-proven actinomyces: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the feasibility of identifying potential radiometric differences in periapical radiolucencies with and without actinomycotic colonization as seen on periapical radiographs using histopathology for ground truth.

METHOD AND MATERIALS: Periapical radiographs demonstrating apical lesions with and without biopsy-proven actinomycosis were included in the study. Lesion sizes were estimated on standardized images using anatomical reference points. The reading session was repeated after 2 weeks, and mean lesion sizes were calculated. All measurements were made by a single, calibrated observer.

RESULTS

The mean dimension of lesions with actinomyces was 13.51 × 16.43 mm, while lesions without actinomyces had a mean size of 10.24 × 11.27 mm.

CONCLUSION

Apical lesions with biopsy-proven actinomyces may be larger in dimension than those without bacterial colonization. Further controlled studies are required to confirm this finding.