Abstract
Background: Soft tissue calcifications are the deposition of calcium salts, mainly calcium phosphate, in soft tissue. They most often are detected as incidental findings during radiographic examinations. The goal is to identify them correctly to determine whether treatment is required. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of soft tissue calcifications in panoramic radiographs and their relationship with age, gender and underlying diseases. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, panoramic radiographs of 654 patients were examined within one year. The prevalence of soft tissue calcification, their location and certain factors such as age, sex, underlying disease were examined. Results: The prevalence of elongated stylohyoid ligament calcification, laryngeal cartilage calcification, carotid artery calcification, lymph node calcification, and sialolith were 20.2%, 9.8%, 2.4%, 1.8%, 0.6%, and 0.1%, respectively. Stylohyoid ligament and vascular calcifications were significantly correlated with cardiovascular disease and hypertension. Gender and soft tissue calcification were not significantly associated. The prevalence of tonsillolith was significantly higher in men (P=0.0001). A significant correlation was found between soft tissue calcification and age groups, so that as age increased, the prevalence of carotid artery calcification, stylohyoid ligament calcification, and tonsillolith increased. Conclusions: The present study shows that soft tissue calcifications are not unusual findings in panoramic radiographs. They increase significantly with aging but have no significant association with gender. The prevalence of soft tissue calcification is higher in cardiovascular disease patients.
Highlights
Soft tissue calcifications are the deposition of calcium salts, mainly calcium phosphate, in soft tissue
The highest prevalence of calcification was obtained for stylohyoid ligament calcification (20.2%), followed by tonsillolith (9.8%), laryngeal cartilage calcification (2.4%), vascular calcification (1.8%) lymph node calcification (0.6%) and sialolith (0.1%)
The Chi-squared test results showed no significant difference in the presence of calcifications between men and women (P = 0.438), but regarding the prevalence of different types of calcifications in the two genders, a significant relationship was observed between gender and tonsillitis (P = 0.0001) so that the prevalence of this type of soft tissue calcification was 76.6% in men that was higher than that in women
Summary
Soft tissue calcifications are the deposition of calcium salts, mainly calcium phosphate, in soft tissue They most often are detected as incidental findings during radiographic examinations. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of soft tissue calcifications in panoramic radiographs and their relationship with age, gender and underlying diseases. Conclusions: The present study shows that soft tissue calcifications are not unusual findings in panoramic radiographs. They increase significantly with aging but have no significant association with gender. Deposition of calcium salts, especially calcium phosphate, mostly occurs in skeletal system If it occurs in a disorganized form in soft tissues, it is called heterotopic calcification and if it occurs in an organized form in soft tissues, it is called heterotopic ossification. Sialolithiasis, phleboliths, rhinoliths, antroliths and laryngeal cartilage calcification are the most common types of heterotopic calcifications in the Highlights
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
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 callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
