[Prevalence of carotid artery calcification on panoramic radiographs]

In a retrospective study, the prevalence of carotid artery calcifications on routine screening panoramic radiographs of a Dutch Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery department was investigated. Individuals older than 45 without a history of CVA, TIA or head and neck radiotherapy were included.Technically useful radiographs were available for 145 males (mean age 59.6 years) and 303 females (mean age 58.5 years). Both a dentist and an oral maxillofacial surgeon examined these radiographs for radio-opaque lesions adjacent or below the C3-C4 intervertebral space. Forty-two individuals with asymptomatic carotid artery calcifications were identified (9.4% of the study population; mean age 68.2 years): 18 men (12.4%; mean age 66.2 years) and 24 women (7.9%; mean age 69.7 years). In 90% of cases the calcifications were bilateral. These results indicate that panoramic radiographs obtained during the course of routine dental treatment may identify calcified carotid atheromas in asymptomatic subjects.