Influence of the Periapical Status of the Posterior Maxillary Teeth on the Width of the Schneiderian Membrane of the Maxillary Sinus Mucosa

Background: Various parameters are known to affect the amount and type of mucosal thickening. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate these effects through a survey of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. CBCT scans of 150 patients, which included the area of the MS and maxillary teeth (canine, first premolar, second premolar, first molar, second molar, and third molar), were evaluated retrospectively for the presence of sinus mucosal thickening. The parameters evaluated as possible causes of mucosal thickening were age, sex, tooth type, proximity to the maxillary sinus, endodontic treatment, and periapical lesion. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression were used to analyze the data. A total of 28% of the teeth presented with mucosal thickening, which was associated with periapical lesions in 57.1% of 77 cases. The size of the lesion was the only parameter that was found to be significantly connected to the presence of mucosal thickness. More than 50% of teeth with periapical lesions in the posterior maxilla exhibited mucosal thickening. Other parameters such as age, sex, and the position of the root tips in relation to the MS floor did not influence the probability of developing mucosal thickening.