Bone mineral density (BMD) is reduced due to the antiepileptic drug (AED) use. This retrospective study aimed at comparing the fractal dimension (FD) and mandibular indices in certain regions on dental panoramic radiographs (DPRs) of patients using AED and also of healthy individuals. In 34 patients with epilepsy using AED and in 34 healthy subjects, panoramic mandibular index (PMI), mandibular cortical width (MCW), mandibular cortical index (MCI), and fractal dimension (FD) of four different regions were assessed using DPRs. FD, measured in the condylar, second premolar and angulus regions, and the mean FD values were significantly lower in the affected patients (p=0.027, p=0.001, p=0.032, p=0.006 respectively). The mean PMI was higher in controls (p=0.001), yet MCI were similar in both groups (p=0.765). FD analysis and radiomorphometric indices in panoramic radiographs can be used to evaluate osteoporotic changes in patients using AEDs
Keywords:- antiepileptics
- epilepsy
- fractal analysis
- osteoporosis
- PMI.