Anatomical characteristics of maxillary sinus antroliths and their influence on sinus membrane thickness: a retrospective cone beam computed tomography analysis

The purpose of this study was to assess the anatomy of antroliths and its influence on the thickness of the maxillary sinus membrane. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) was performed on 239 patients (478 sinuses). The prevalence of antroliths per sinus was 8.4%. Regarding their distribution, antroliths were predominantly unilateral (82.5%), single (67.5%), and in a dentate area (60.0%). The antroliths were mainly located in the molar region (95.0%) and in the sinus floor (77.5%). The measured dimensions of the antroliths were as follows: length 5.6 ± 4.4 mm, width 4.1 ± 2.9 mm, height 3.5 ± 2.1 mm. The relationships between the antroliths and the sinus membrane (type 1, 34.1%; type 2, 52.3%; type 3, 13.6%) indicated that sinus membranes tended to encircle antroliths, which resulted in a gradual increase in membrane thickness. The sinus membrane was found to be significantly thicker in the presence of antrolith(s) (P < 0.001). Antroliths which are sufficiently large or are located adjacent to the sinus floor or lateral wall increase the risk of sinus membrane perforation during sinus augmentation procedures. Therefore, a thorough CBCT evaluation is needed to minimize the risk of complications prior to sinus augmentation procedures.