ABSTRACT
The alveolar antral artery (AAA) was unanimously encountered in a few available studies with an intraosseous course to anastomose with the infraorbital artery. We report here two cases in which dissection revealed an extraosseous placement of this artery, between the lateral wall of the maxillary sinus and the Schneiderian membrane. The frequency of occurrence of the intraosseous anastomosis should be so modified from 100% to < 100%. This arterial course over the Schneiderian membrane is important during surgical procedures: if it is identified preoperatively it can be avoided, or ligaturated, if not, it may be accidentally severed and uncomfortable haemorrhage may disturb the surgical procedure. In the first case reported here hybrid morphology of the AAA was also found, demonstrating that arterial anatomy should be considered with caution, on a case-by-case basis.
ABSTRACT
The infraorbital canal (IOC) normally courses above the maxillary sinus in the orbit floor. During a retrospective study of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans, we found a previously unknown variant of the IOC. The IOCs were absent, being replaced by lateroantral canals coursing around and not above the maxillary sinus to open at infraorbital foramina which were located above the second upper premolar teeth. On coronal multiplanar reconstructions, the lateroantral canals were located anatomically at the outer limit of the zygomatic recess of each maxillary sinus, while the upper wall of the sinus was devoid of any canal. Such rare variant should be kept in mind by dental practitioners and surgeons, as it can determine modifications of common procedures. In this regard, the anatomy of maxilla, as well as mandible, should be evaluated in CBCT on a case-by-case basis.