Abstract
Objective: It was aimed to retrospectively evaluate the soft tissue calcifications (STCs) in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. Material and Methods: CBCT images (Planmeca Romexis®, 3D Mid Planmeca Oy, Helsinki, Finland) of 1,566 patients (54.2% females; 45.8% males) were collected from the database of Department of Dentomaxillofacial Radiology. The hyperdense masses were examined. Patients with head and neck trauma or a history of surgery were excluded. If present, soft tissue calcifications were classified according to type, locations, distribution, age, and gender using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. Results: Of the 1,566 patients, 390 (24.9 %) showed calcifications. The mean age of these patients was 47.3±16.1. The frequency of STCs was 48.7% in males and 51.3% in females. Tonsilloliths (53.6 %) were found to be common, followed by ossified stylohyoid ligament (29.5%), pineal gland calcification (3.6%) and sialolith (2.8%). No statistically significant differences were recorded between genders (p>0.05). STCs were detected either bilaterally (51.1%) or unilaterally (48.9%). The frequency of the STCs according to age groups: Tonsillolith was seen mostly in individuals older than 55-year-old (40.7%), whereas ossified stylohyoid ligament was seen in patients younger than 35-year-old (36.5%). Conclusion: STCs may often be incidentally diagnosed on CBCT images. Clinicians should recognize the characteristics of STCs, particularly regarding early diagnoses of certain systemic diseases.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
