Prevalence of Haller's cells in south Indian population using digital panoramic radiographs

Background Haller's cells are anatomical variants of the paranasal sinuses, which were first described by Albrecht von Haller in 1765. They appear as well-defined round, oval, or teardrop-shaped radiolucencies (single or multiple) with smooth corticated or noncorticated borders. The present study sheds light on the prevalence and morphological characteristics of these least-explored entities. Materials and methods A sample of 400 panoramic radiographs were randomly selected considering the patients' physical and medical status. The identification of Haller's cells was made according to the criteria suggested by Ahmad et al. The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis. Results Out of the 400 radiographs, we found Haller's cells in 83 subjects (41 male and 42 female subjects) with a prevalence of 20.75 %. Among 83 subjects, 62 (74.7 %) had a unilateral unilocular presentation. Most of the Haller's cells (60.3 %) were observed to be round in our study. Only three subjects had teardrop-shaped Haller's cells. Significant differences were observed between groups. Conclusion The results of this study indicate that panoramic radiographs can depict and provide a clear delineation of Haller's cells. Further studies employing advanced imaging modalities would aid in justifying our findings.