Cover image of the article: Tooth Suspended in the Maxillary Sinus (Case Report)

Image Credit:Koomesh

Tooth Suspended in the Maxillary Sinus (Case Report)

Authors

Solmaz ValizadehSolmaz Valizadeh ORCID1, Zahra Vasegh1,*, Narges Mirzania1, Mehdi Hosseinzadeh1
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, School of Dentistry, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
*Corresponding Author: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, School of Dentistry, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Email: vaseghz@yahoo.com

Koomesh:Vol. 27, issue 4; e149302
Published online:Aug 10, 2025
Article type:Case Report
How to Cite:Valizadeh S, Vasegh Z, Mirzania N, Hosseinzadeh M. Tooth Suspended in the Maxillary Sinus (Case Report). Koomesh. 2025;27(4):e149302. doi: https://doi.org/10.69107/koomesh-149302

Abstract

Background: The presence of an ectopic tooth in a non-tooth-bearing area is a rare occurrence, attributable to various factors such as developmental anomalies, pathological processes, or iatrogenic activities. This phenomenon can manifest unilaterally or bilaterally. In certain cases, patients may experience symptoms including pain, swelling, and chronic or recurrent sinusitis, although it may sometimes be discovered incidentally.

Case report: In the present study, we examine a case of an ectopic third molar in the maxillary sinus. A 29-year-old male patient visited the Shahid Beheshti Dental School for dental implant treatment. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images revealed the presence of an ectopic third molar in the left maxillary sinus. The patient reported no history of pain or swelling in the affected area and had no significant systemic medical history. Due to the patient's non-cooperation, surgical treatment and follow-up sessions were not possible for this case.

Conclusion: The importance of this article lies in its contribution to recording rare instances of ectopic teeth. These reports increase understanding and aid in the better management of such anomalies.

Highlights

References

  • 1.
    Ramanojam S, Halli R, Hebbale M, Bhardwaj S. Ectopic tooth in maxillary sinus: Case series. Ann Maxillofac Surg. 2013;3(1):89-92. [PubMed ID:23662268]. [PubMed Central ID:PMC3645620]. https://doi.org/10.4103/2231-0746.110075.
  • 2.
    Elango S, Palaniappan SP. Ectopic tooth in the roof of the maxillary sinus. Ear Nose Throat J. 1991;70(6):365-6. [PubMed ID:1893885].
  • 3.
    Bodner L, Tovi F, Bar-Ziv J. Teeth in the maxillary sinus--imaging and management. J Laryngol Otol. 1997;111(9):820-4. [PubMed ID:9373546]. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022215100138721.
  • 4.
    Hashemipour MA, Tahmasbi-Arashlow M, Fahimi-Hanzaei F. Incidence of impacted mandibular and maxillary third molars: a radiographic study in a Southeast Iran population. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. 2013;18(1):e140-5. [PubMed ID:23229243]. [PubMed Central ID:PMC3548634]. https://doi.org/10.4317/medoral.18028.
  • 5.
    Beriat GK, Beriat N, Yalcinkaya E. Ectopic molar tooth in the maxillary sinus: a case report. Clin Dent Res. 2011;35(2):35-40.
  • 6.
    Rathee M, Jain P. Embryology, Teeth. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025.
  • 7.
    Al-Ani RM, Aldelaimi TN, Khalil AA. Ectopic Upper Third Molar in Maxillary Sinus: A Case Report and Literature Review. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2022;74(Suppl 3):4718-21. [PubMed ID:36742931]. [PubMed Central ID:PMC9895750]. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12070-021-03039-0.
  • 8.
    Jain P, Rathee M. Anatomy, Head and Neck, Tooth Eruption. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025.
  • 9.
    Shetty P, Shetty S, Agarwal N, Srivastava P. Third molar in the orbital floor: A precarious presentation of odontogenic keratocyst-A case report and review of literature. Clin Case Rep. 2018;6(9):1854-61. [PubMed ID:30214778]. [PubMed Central ID:PMC6132149]. https://doi.org/10.1002/ccr3.1714.
  • 10.
    Anand R, Kieu A, Arulraj E, Ilangovan G, D.A N, AshwathNarayana G, et al. A Rare Case of an Intra-nasal Ectopic Tooth in a Young Woman. Cureus. 2021. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.19370.
  • 11.
    El-Sayed Y. Sinonasal teeth. J Otolaryngol. 1995;24(3).
  • 12.
    Pracy JP, Williams HO, Montgomery PQ. Nasal teeth. J Laryngol Otol. 1992;106(4):366-7. [PubMed ID:1613354]. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022215100119516.
  • 13.
    Yusuf H, Quayle AA. Intracondylar tooth. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 1989;18(6):323. [PubMed ID:2516098]. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0901-5027(89)80027-x.
  • 14.
    Toranzo Fernandez M, Terrones Meraz MA. Infected cyst in the coronoid process. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol. 1992;73(6):768. [PubMed ID:1437053]. https://doi.org/10.1016/0030-4220(92)90028-o.
  • 15.
    Sharma S, Chauhan JS. Bilateral ectopic third molars in maxillary sinus associated with dentigerous cyst-A rare case report. Int J Surg Case Rep. 2019;61:298-301. [PubMed ID:31401439]. [PubMed Central ID:PMC6699555]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijscr.2019.07.072.
  • 16.
    Masalha M, Schneider S, Kassem F, Koren I, Eliashar R, Margulis A, et al. Endoscopic treatment of ectopic teeth in the maxillary sinus. J Clin Exp Dent. 2021;13(3):e227-e33. [PubMed ID:33680324]. [PubMed Central ID:PMC7920564]. https://doi.org/10.4317/jced.57905.
  • 17.
    Lai YT, Luk YS, Fung KH. Anomalous morphology of an ectopic tooth in the maxillary sinus on three-dimensional computed tomography images. J Radiol Case Rep. 2013;7(2):11-6. [PubMed ID:23705035]. [PubMed Central ID:PMC3661307]. https://doi.org/10.3941/jrcr.v7i2.1227.
  • 18.
    Safi Y, Mortazavi H, Iranparvar Alamdari M. Ectopic Deciduous Molar in Maxillary Sinus: An Extremely Rare Case Report. Journal of Iranian Medical Council. 2022. https://doi.org/10.18502/jimc.v5i1.9591.
  • 19.
    Almomen A, Alkhudair B, Alkhatib A, Alazzah G, Ali Z, Al Yaeesh I, et al. Ectopic maxillary tooth as a cause of recurrent maxillary sinusitis: a case report and review of the literature. J Surg Case Rep. 2020;2020(9):rjaa334. [PubMed ID:33024531]. [PubMed Central ID:PMC7524603]. https://doi.org/10.1093/jscr/rjaa334.
  • 20.
    Topal Ö, Dayısoylu EH. Ectopic Tooth in the Maxillary Sinus. Turk Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2017;55(3):151-2. [PubMed ID:29392075]. [PubMed Central ID:PMC5782996]. https://doi.org/10.5152/tao.2017.2308.

Copyright

© 2025, Author(s). This open-access article is available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which allows for unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is properly cited.

Similar Articles

6
Aug
2018
Root Canal Treatment of a Maxillary Second Molar with Two Palatal Roots: A Case Report

Root Canal Treatment of a Maxillary Second Molar with Two Palatal Roots: A Case Report

Roya Dehghan,
Yasamin Ghahramani

Dehghan R, Ghahramani Y. Root Canal Treatment of a Maxillary Second Molar with Two Palatal Roots: A Case Report. Thrita J Neu. 2018;7(1):e69575. doi: https://doi.org/10.5812/thrita.69575

31
Dec
2014
Radicular cyst associated with a second primary molar: Case Report

Radicular cyst associated with a second primary molar: Case Report

Maryam Seyedmajidi,
R Foroughi,
A Gholami

Seyedmajidi M, Foroughi R, Gholami A. Radicular cyst associated with a second primary molar: Case Report. J Inflamm Dis. 2024;18(4):e155853. doi:

10
Apr
2021
Diagnosis and Treatment of an Odontogenic Maxillary Sinusitis: A Case Report Study

Diagnosis and Treatment of an Odontogenic Maxillary Sinusitis: A Case Report Study

Negin Soghli,
Maryam Johari,
Mehrdad Panjnoush

Soghli N, Johari M, Panjnoush M. Diagnosis and Treatment of an Odontogenic Maxillary Sinusitis: A Case Report Study. Thrita J Neu. 2020;9(2):e108248. doi: https://doi.org/10.5812/thrita.108248

29
Apr
2014
Evaluation of Panoramic Radiography at Showing Width of the Dental Follicle

Evaluation of Panoramic Radiography at Showing Width of the Dental Follicle

S. Kamal Seyedmajidi,
Sina Haghanifar,
Mohammad Mehdizadeh,
Maryam Seyedmajidi,
Ali Bijani,
Nafiseh Ghasemi

Seyedmajidi SK, Haghanifar S, Mehdizadeh M, Seyedmajidi M, Bijani A, et al. Evaluation of Panoramic Radiography at Showing Width of the Dental Follicle. Zahedan J Res Med Sci. 2014;16(7):. doi:

20
Sep
2008
The Prevalence of Three Rooted Primary Mandibular Molars in Zahedan

The Prevalence of Three Rooted Primary Mandibular Molars in Zahedan

Narjes Amiri tehrani,
AR Heydari

Amiri tehrani N, Heydari A. The Prevalence of Three Rooted Primary Mandibular Molars in Zahedan. Zahedan J Res Med Sci. 2008;10(3):e94521. doi:

More by these authors

Solmaz ValizadehPubMedScholar
Zahra VaseghPubMedScholar
Narges MirzaniaPubMedScholar
Mehdi HosseinzadehPubMedScholar
Share
Cited by
Metrics
Indexed in