Archive | 2021
Evaluation of Alveolar Bone Hypomineralization in Hypophosphatasia Patients Using Orthopantomography
Abstract
\n Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is a metabolic disease characterized by impaired bone mineralization and early exfoliation of primary teeth. The purpose of this study was to develop a method for quantitatively evaluating alveolar bone hypomineralization using orthopantomographic images. Alveolar bone density was defined according to the pixel values and corrected by brightness shown by an indicator applied to the orthopantomographic device. Images of 200 systemically healthy subjects (aged 2–15 years) were classified into five age groups. The corrected pixel values were significantly lower in the younger group than in those aged 14–15 years (2–4, 5–7 and 8–10 years versus 14–15 years: P\u2009<\u20090.0001, 11–13 years versus 14–15 years: P\u2009<\u20090.01). Orthopantomographic images of 17 HPP patients were evaluated. The corrected pixel values of three-quarters of the odonto type HPP patients were lower than the mean values for the healthy group. One-third of patients treated with enzyme replacement therapy showed higher corrected pixel values than the healthy group. Our results suggest that odonto type HPP without skeletal problems is occasionally accompanied by hypomineralization of alveolar bone, and that alveolar bone hypomineralization in severe HPP patients is possibly improved by enzyme replacement therapy.