Key result
Carotid calcifications appear on ~8% of dental radiographs, with older age carrying the strongest link.
Why the study?
Panoramic radiographs can display images suggestive of carotid artery calcifications in asymptomatic patients, but their prevalence and association with risk factors were not well established.
What is the prevalence of carotid artery calcifications on panoramic radiographs and its association with risk factors in patients over 30?
Cross-Sectional (n=505)
What is the prevalence of carotid artery calcifications on panoramic radiographs and its association with risk factors in patients over 30?
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Panoramic radiographs can incidentally detect carotid artery calcifications in about 8% of patients over 30, with higher rates in the elderly and smokers.
Panoramic radiographs (PR) can display radiopaque images suggestive of calcified atheroma in the carotid artery in asymptomatic patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of these images on PR and their linkage with hypertension, obesity, age, gender and smoking habits. PR of 505 patients were evaluated. They were older than 30 years old and their PR had been taken for different clinical reasons. Their body mass index was calculated; their waist circumference was also taken into consideration. Information about smoking habits and hypertension was obtained. The observers analyzed the presence of radiopaque mass in the region of the cervical vertebrae C3-C4 through the PR, confirmed by an antero-posterior (AP) radiograph. The results showed a 7.92% prevalence of suggestive images of calcifications on PR and on AP radiograph. The adjusted Odds Ratio showed association with age and smoking habits. The calcification process is almost nine times higher for the elderly when compared to the young. As far as smokers are concerned, this process is twice worse when compared to no smokers. In conclusion, 7.92% of the group studied presented suggestive images of carotid atherosclerosis on PR, which is directly associated with the age and smoking habits.
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Brito et al. (2016) conducted a cross-sectional in Carotid artery calcifications (n=505). Older age and smoking vs. Younger age and non-smoking was evaluated on Presence of radiopaque mass suggestive of carotid artery calcifications on panoramic and antero-posterior radiographs (OR ~9 (elderly vs young); OR ~2 (smokers vs non-smokers)). Suggestive images of carotid atherosclerosis were present on 7.92% of panoramic radiographs, with the odds of calcification being almost 9 times higher in the elderly and twice as high in smokers.
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