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Tracheobronchial calcification in members of a fixed population sample
1Department of Clinical Studies, Radiation Effects Research Foundation, Hiroshima, Japan.
Acta Radiologica (Stockholm, Sweden : 1987)
|May 1, 1989
Summary
Extensive tracheobronchial calcification, found in 0.87% of subjects, is common in women over 60. This condition, affecting cartilaginous rings, appears to have no clinical significance, though its prevalence in women requires further study.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Pathology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Tracheobronchial calcification is an observed phenomenon in chest radiographs.
- Previous studies have not extensively detailed its prevalence or clinical significance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of extensive tracheobronchial calcification in a general population.
- To investigate the clinical significance and histological basis of tracheobronchial calcification.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 1152 chest radiographs for tracheobronchial calcification.
- Analysis of coded diagnoses in a fixed population sample of 11,758 individuals.
- Histological examination of autopsied cases with tracheobronchial calcification.
Main Results:
- Extensive tracheobronchial calcification was identified in 0.87% of subjects on chest radiographs.
- A coded diagnosis was found in 51 of 11,758 subjects, with 60 of 61 being women.
- Calcification and ossification were located within the cartilaginous rings of the trachea and bronchi.
- The condition typically appeared after age 60 and showed no apparent clinical significance.
Conclusions:
- Tracheobronchial calcification is a radiographically identifiable condition with a notable prevalence.
- The condition predominantly affects women over 60 years of age.
- While histologically confirmed in cartilaginous rings, the underlying cause for its higher prevalence in women remains undetermined.