A "salt and pepper" effect may be noted on intraoral radiographic images of a patient with which type of anemia?

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A "salt and pepper" effect may be noted on intraoral radiographic images of a patient with thalassemia. Intraoral radiographs of a patient with thalassemia show a peculiar trabecular pattern of the maxilla and mandible. The "salt and pepper" effect is the result of the prominence of some trabeculae and a blurring and disappearance of others. Thinning of the lamina dura and circular radiolucencies in the alveolar bone have also been described. Changes in the skulls of patients with sickle cell anemia have been described as a "hair-on-end" pattern because the trabeculae radiate outward. In aplastic anemia, patients experience a dramatic decrease in all circulating blood cells because of a severe depression of bone marrow activity. The diagnosis of pernicious anemia is made by laboratory testing.

A "Salt and Pepper" Effect May Be Noted on Intraoral