Konik Işınlı Bilgisayarlı Tomografi Kullanılarak Ege Bölgesi’nde Tonsilolit Prevalansının Araştırılması

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this research was to investigate the prevalence rate and characteristics of tonsilloliths in a Turkish population sample living in the Aegean region of Turkey using cone-beam computed tomography.Methods: Three hundred ninety-nine consecutive cone-beam computed tomography data was obtained at the Department of Oral and Dentomaxillofacial Radiology were retrospectively analyzed for the characteristics and presence of tonsilloliths. The subjects were divided into three groups according to age: (1) age ≤20 years; (2) age 21-40 years; (3) age ≥41 years. The correlation between subject demographics and the characteristics (number and prevalence) of tonsilloliths was investigated.Results: The prevalence rate of palatine tonsilloliths in 399 subjects (184 males, 215 females; mean age of 34.3 years) was 25.8%; the prevalence showed no significant difference between male and female genders (p=0.57). A positive correlation was observed between the number of tonsillotihs and age (p=0.002). Tonsillar calcification was significantly more common in Group 3 than Group 1 and 2, while it was significantly lower in Group 1 than the other groups (p=0.036). Conclusion: According to our results, tonsilloliths affect approximately a quarter of the Aegean population. Tonsilloliths are age-related but sex-independent. These calcifications are more common in people older than 40 years of age.