Abstract
PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of soft tissue calcifications in the mandible in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans. METHODS: The sample was composed by 246 CBCT scans of the mandible; 163 were acquired by the NewTom 3G® system, and 83 were acquired by the Classic i-Cat® system. When the presence of soft tissue calcification was confirmed in the mandible, the anatomical location and the type of calcification (single or multiple) were determined. Elongated styloid process and ossification of the stylohyoid ligament were excluded. Data were analyzed by using Fisher's exact test and chi-square tests. RESULTS: A total of 37 out of 246 scans showed soft tissue calcifications in the mandible (prevalence of 15%). Soft tissue calcification is predominant at posterior region of the mandible (18.9%), with no relation to gender and age. From the total of patients with soft tissue calcification, 73% were aged 35-55 year-old. There was no significant difference of diagnostic quality of the images between the CBCT systems (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of soft tissue calcifications was high in this sample using CBCT images for diagnosis in the mandibular region.
Highlights
Soft tissue calcifications are classified as dystrophic, idiopathic, or metastatic
The cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), an imaging method that allows the acquisition of high-quality, high-fidelity images using lower doses of radiation, facilitates the acquisition of multiplanar images and may allow a more accurate diagnosis for an effective treatment planning [4]
The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of soft tissue calcifications in the mandibular region by analyzing CBCT axial images acquired by two different CBCT scanners
Summary
Soft tissue calcifications are classified as dystrophic, idiopathic, or metastatic. They might not be accompanied by clinical symptoms or appear on X-rays [1,2]. One of the greatest difficulties when diagnosing soft tissue calcifications is to determine their exact location. This is especially difficult in panoramic radiographs, since two-dimensional images can create ghost images [3]. Since the last decade, volumetric imaging has been increasingly used as a diagnostic tool. The cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), an imaging method that allows the acquisition of high-quality, high-fidelity images using lower doses of radiation, facilitates the acquisition of multiplanar images and may allow a more accurate diagnosis for an effective treatment planning [4]
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