Value of Mandibular Cortical Thickness in
HIV-infected Children and Adolescents
 

Farina Pramanik, Ria Noerianingsih Firman, A. Rahman, Alongsyah Zulkarnaen Ramadhansyah

Department of Dentomaxillofacial Radiology, Padjadjaran University, Bandung, Indonesia

 

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to obtain the value of mandibular cortical thickness in HIV-infected children and adolescents based on panoramic radiographs.

 

Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out on 43 panoramic radiographs of HIV-infected children and adolescents. The value of mandibular cortical thickness was measured by three indices known as the mentale index (MI), gonial index (GI), and antegonial index (AGI) using a digital caliper directly on the panoramic radiographs which had been taken previously.

 

Results: According to measurements of the mandibular cortical thickness with the mentale index (MI), all samples had cortical thickness still within normal values both in children and adolescents in all gender. Whereas, in the measurement of gonial index (GI) showed the value of mandibular cortical thickness decreased below the normal value of 39.5% which is more common in children especially in girls than the adolescents. For antegonial index-based measurements, 74.4% of samples with cortical thickness below average were found.

 

Conclusions: A decrease in cortical thickness below the normal value was more evident in measurements with antegonial index on panoramic radiographs. While measurements using the mentale index did not show a decrease in cortical thickness values in HIV- infected children and adolescents.