What is the radiolucent area seen on the panoramic radiograph located behind the nose and above the palate?

• A. Behind the nose in the nasopharynx
• B. In the maxillary sinus
• C. In the submandibular space
• D. In the parotid space

Answer: (A)

Radiolucent areas on panoramic images are air-filled spaces. Behind the nose and above the palate lies the nasopharynx, the upper part of the pharynx, which is an air-filled passage. That’s why it appears as a dark band in that region on the radiograph. The maxillary sinus is a radiolucent area too, but it sits more laterally and superiorly to the roots of the teeth, not directly behind the nose. The submandibular and parotid spaces are soft-tissue regions and don’t correspond to that specific behind-the-nose location. So the radiolucent area in that location is the nasopharynx.