Radiographic assessment of apical root resorption in inflammatory periapical pathologies

Introduction: Apical root resorption (ARR) is a common condition associated with periapical pathologies which is invariably detected by intraoral periapical radiographs. Although it is common, its distribution in different periapical pathologies has not been assessed so far. The aim of this study was to determine the distribution and severity of ARR in common inflammatory periapical pathologies. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional radiographic study was conducted on 333 patients who visited SEGi Oral Health Centre in the 6-month period of the study. Digital intraoral periapical radiographs of patients with clinically established periapical pathologies were taken. Data were collected using a structured proforma regarding the type of periapical lesions, presence or absence of ARR. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 21 and Chi-square test was applied to check the association between ARR and periapical pathologies. Results: During this study period, 333 patients with inflammatory periapical pathologies were reported. Of which 135 (40.5%) showed definite ARR. Among 135 ARR, 97 (71.9%) were moderate resorption and 38 (28.1%) were severe resorption. ARR was significantly greater in periapical granuloma and cyst (72.8%) followed by periapical abscess (35%) and acute apical periodontitis (18.1%) which was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Young adults (40.7%) and male patients (58.5%) had higher ARR compared to old-aged adults and female patients. Conclusion: The presence of ARR is the concern for the infection control in endodontics, as these conditions provide a favorable environment for bacterial colonization and also exact working length determination is difficult as there is altered apical constriction.