Morphological variation of the nasopalatine canal: A cone-beam computed tomography study

Aim: 1) To assess the morphological variation of the nasopalatine canal (NPC) concerning age and gender. 2). To assess the correlation between the gender and morphology of the canal. 3). To assess the correlation between age and length of the canal. Material and Method: This is a retrospective, randomized observational study. The study comprised of 50 CBCT scans of maxilla showing NPC completely. The scans were obtained in the department during the period ranging from December 2018 to June 2019. The patients were in the age range of 15-75 years. Scan of 22 females and 28 males were included in the study. Patient below 15 years of age and NPC pathology or impacted teeth in same region were excluded in the study. The scans were obtained using ICAT17-19 machine and analyzed Vision software. Cone-Beam 3D Imaging machine operating at 120 kvp, 37.07 mAs with 0.25 mm voxel size, and a field of view of 16 x 6 cm maxilla. Results: Nasopalatine canal has 4 different morphological shapes. The most common shape was the cylindrical shape amongst both males and females. The least common shape was found to be hourglass shape with increasing age the length of NPC was found to decrease. The length of the canal was found to be longer in males when compared to females. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of NPC morphology before or during surgical procedures involving the maxilla.