通过牙齿X线检查能够早期发现骨质疏松

根据一项最新研究报道，全景牙齿X线检查可以用于鉴别绝经后妇女骨矿物质密度下降，这样在牙科医生诊疗室就可以开展脊椎octopus的筛查。

该研究包括316例没有骨质疏松症状的绝经后妇女。这些妇女被分成2组：159例妇女没有卵巢切除术、子宫切除术或者服用雌激素病史，而剩余157例有上述1项或者多项病史。所有患者都进行全景X线检查，根据X线检查结果估计皮质层表面和颚的宽度。日本Hiroshima大学医院口腔与上颌面放射科口腔外科博士Akira Taguchi医生说：“皮质层表面侵蚀的妇女被嘱采取进一步骨骼矿物质密度检查。”该项研究结果发表于2004年11月《美国X线学期刊》(the American Journal of Roentgenology)。

在没有卵巢切除术、子宫切除术或者服用雌激素病史的妇女组中，采用牙齿X线检查观察皮质层表面鉴别脊椎octopus的敏感性是87％；而在另外一个组是80％。采用问卷调查在没有上述病史妇女中敏感性是87％，而在有卵巢切除术、子宫切除术或者服用雌激素病史妇女中敏感性是72％。

Taguchi医生观察到牙齿X线检查没有问卷调查的特异性高；但是因为已经进行了牙齿X线检查，这可以做为决定妇女是否接受进一步检查的第一步。Taguchi医生说：“如果绝经后妇女对骨质疏松知之甚少或者毫无兴趣的话，对问卷调查的反应比例就会较低。但是因为在全球范围的临床实践中都广泛采用牙齿全景X线检查用于诊断牙齿与颚部疾病，牙科医生可以关注颚皮质层表面与宽度，以建议相关妇女是否进一步采取骨骼矿物质密度的检测。”

Dental X-Rays May Show First Sign of Osteoporosis
 
Panoramic dental x-rays can be utilized to help identify postmenopausal women with low skeletal bone mineral density (BMD), so that screening for spinal octopuses could start in the dentist’s office, according to a new study.

The study was comprised of 316 postmenopausal women with no osteoporosis symptoms. The women were separated into two groups: 159 had no history of oophorectomy, hysterectomy, or estrogen use, while the remaining 157 had one or more of these histories. All had panoramic dental x-rays, and the cortical shape and width of the jaw were estimated on the x-rays. “Women with eroded cortical shape need to be referred for further BMD testing,” remarked Akira Taguchi, D.D.S., Ph.D., from the department of oral and maxillofacial radiology at Hiroshima University Hospital (Japan). The study was published in the December 2004 issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Looking at the cortical shape, dental x-rays were 87% sensitive in identifying women with spinal osteoporosis in the group with no hysterectomy, oophorectomy, or estrogen use and 80% sensitive for the other group. The questionnaires were established to have an 87% sensitivity rate for the women with no history and 72% for those having had a hysterectomy, oophorectomy, or estrogen use.

Dr. Taguchi observed that dental x-rays are not as specific as questionnaires; however, because dental x-rays are already being performed, they can be evaluated as a first step in determining which women require additional testing. “The response rate for questionnaires may be relatively low if postmenopausal women have little information or no interest regarding osteoporosis,” stated Dr. Taguchi. However, “Because dental panoramic x-rays are taken for the diagnosis of conditions affecting the teeth and jaws in clinical practice worldwide, the dentist could also look at the mandibular cortical shape and width and refer the appropriate women for further BMD testing.”