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Unilateral triple mandibular canal with double mandibular foramen: cone-beam computed tomography findings of an unexpected anatomical variant
, 1
Affiliations- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health, University of Brescia, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Italy
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Abstract
The mandibular canal is a bony channel located within the spongiosa of the mandible. The main structure contained in the mandibular canal is the inferior alveolar nerve. The inferior alveolar nerve is a very important structure that requires due consideration during dental or surgical procedures involving the mandible. Therefore, a detailed morphological analysis of the mandibular canal should be carried out before any surgical procedure in the mandibular region in order to avoid complications and to reduce the risk of inadequate local nerve blocking. The human mandible typically has a single mandibular canal on each side; however, accessory mandibular canals have been described previously in the literature. The most common variant of the mandibular canal is the bifid mandibular canal, which has a prevalence ranging from 10% to 66% on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) examinations. A rare variant of bifid mandibular canal is the trifid canal, accounting for less than 6% of all bifid canals. In some cases, the bifid and trifid mandibular canals are associated with a double mandibular foramen, which is a rare anatomical variant with a reported incidence of 1.35% on CBCT images. Herein, we present the interesting CBCT images of an unexpected anatomical variant characterised by unilateral triple mandibular canal with double mandibular foramen in a young Caucasian woman.
Abstract
The mandibular canal is a bony channel located within the spongiosa of the mandible. The main structure contained in the mandibular canal is the inferior alveolar nerve. The inferior alveolar nerve is a very important structure that requires due consideration during dental or surgical procedures involving the mandible. Therefore, a detailed morphological analysis of the mandibular canal should be carried out before any surgical procedure in the mandibular region in order to avoid complications and to reduce the risk of inadequate local nerve blocking. The human mandible typically has a single mandibular canal on each side; however, accessory mandibular canals have been described previously in the literature. The most common variant of the mandibular canal is the bifid mandibular canal, which has a prevalence ranging from 10% to 66% on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) examinations. A rare variant of bifid mandibular canal is the trifid canal, accounting for less than 6% of all bifid canals. In some cases, the bifid and trifid mandibular canals are associated with a double mandibular foramen, which is a rare anatomical variant with a reported incidence of 1.35% on CBCT images. Herein, we present the interesting CBCT images of an unexpected anatomical variant characterised by unilateral triple mandibular canal with double mandibular foramen in a young Caucasian woman.
Keywords
mandibular canal, anatomic variation, accessory mandibular canal, accessory mandibular foramen, mandible, cone-beam computed tomography
About this articleTitle
Unilateral triple mandibular canal with double mandibular foramen: cone-beam computed tomography findings of an unexpected anatomical variant
Journal
Issue
Article type
Case report
Pages
471-475
Published online
2020-05-25
Page views
1450
Article views/downloads
1301
DOI
Pubmed
Bibliographic record
Folia Morphol 2021;80(2):471-475.
Keywords
mandibular canal
anatomic variation
accessory mandibular canal
accessory mandibular foramen
mandible
cone-beam computed tomography
Authors
A. Borghesi
M. P. Bondioni
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