A COMPARISON OF THE DIAGNOSTIC ABILITY BETWEEN WATERS′ RADIOGRAPH AND COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF MIDFACIAL FRACTURE

안면중앙부 골절 진단시 전산화단층사진과 Waters 방사선사진의 진단능 비교

This study was intended to compare the diagnostic ability between Waters' radiograph and CT in the diagnosis of midfacial fracture. The study group included 44 patients(male:32, female :12, age range :16-74 years old) with facial injury who underwent surgery. Waters' radiograph and both axial and coronal scanning were performed before surgery. Three oral radiologists and three non-oral radiologist interpreted 44 Waters' radiographs and 88 CT in three ways; 1) interpretation using Waters' radiograph only, 2) interpretation using CT only, 3) interpretation using Waters' radiograph and CT. The interpretation sites were confined to the walls of maxillary sinus; anterior, posterior, medial, lateral and superior wall. ROC curves were made with the findings during surgery as a gold standard except the posterior wall, where the joint evaluation of Waters' radiograph and CT by other three oral radiologists was used. ROC areas were compared according to the interpreting methods, the interpretation sites, and groups (R group ; oral radiologist group, N group ; non-oral radiologist group). The obtained results were as followed : 1. The diagnostic ability of CT only and Waters' radiograph and CT was higher than Waters' radiograph only in both groups(P<0.05). But there was no difference between CT only and Waters' radiograph and CT. 2. Generally, the diagnostic ability for the lateral antral wall was the highest and that for the posterior antral wall was the lowest in both groups(P<0.05). 3. In R group, for the anterior antral wall the diagnostic ability using CT only was increased but for the medial, lateral and superior antral walls the diagnostic ability was increased in only using Waters' radiograph and CT. 4. In N group, for the anterior and medial walls the diagnostic ability using CT only was increased. But for the posterior, lateral and superior antral walls there were no difference among three interpreting methods. 5. The diagnostic ability of R group was higher than N group in all interpreting methods.