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Identifying Coronary Artery Calcification on Non-gated Computed Tomography Scans
Published on: August 28, 2018
The Relationship between carotid artery calcification and pulp stone among hemodialysis patients: A retrospective
Sevcihan Gunen Yilmaz1, Fatih Yilmaz2, Ibrahim Sevki Bayrakdar3
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Faculty of Dentistry, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey.
Insights
This study found no direct link between carotid artery calcification (CAC) and pulp stones (PS) in chronic hemodialysis patients. However, factors like diabetes and higher C-reactive protein levels were associated with both conditions.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging
- Oral Radiology
- Nephrology
Background:
- Carotid artery calcification (CAC) and pulp stones (PS) are common findings.
- Chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients may present with various comorbidities.
- Understanding potential associations between vascular and dental findings is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between carotid artery calcification (CAC) and pulp stones (PS) in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients.
- To explore potential risk factors associated with the co-occurrence of CAC and PS.
Main Methods:
- Panoramic radiographs were used to evaluate 60 chronic HD patients for CAC and PS.
- CAC was identified in the C3-C4 intervertebral area; PS was assessed in teeth.
- Statistical analysis was performed to determine correlations and significant factors.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant correlation was found between the presence of CAC and PS (P = 0.08).
- The prevalence of PS was 17.9% across all analyzed teeth.
- Subgroup analysis revealed higher rates of diabetes, parathormone, calcium × phosphorus product, and C-reactive protein in patients with both CAC and PS.
Conclusions:
- Pulp stones are not a strong predictor for carotid artery calcification in chronic HD patients.
- Factors such as diabetes, elevated parathormone, calcium-phosphorus product, and C-reactive protein are associated with the co-occurrence of CAC and PS in this population.
- Further research may elucidate the underlying mechanisms connecting these conditions.
Abstract:
The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the presence of carotid artery calcification (CAC) and pulp stone (PS). A total of 60 chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients (30 CAC positive, 30 CAC negative) participated in this study. The mean age of patients was 54.7 ± 16.4 years, and 32 (53%) of them were male. CAC was defined as the presence of heterogeneous nodular opacities in the soft tissue in C3-C4 intervertebral area. Panoramic radiographs of the patients were evaluated for CAC and PS by two oral and maxillofacial radiologists. PS was evaluated in all healthy, decayed, and restored teeth except the third molar teeth, in the coronal, sagittal, and axial planes. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (version 20.0; SPSS, Inc., an IBM Company, Chicago, IL, USA) was used. A probability P <0.05 was considered statistically significant. The prevalence of PS in this study was 30% (18 patients) all group. A total of 1324 teeth were analyzed and PS was detected in 237 teeth (17.9%). The occurrence of PS in teeth in CAC-positive group (10 patients, 17.2% of 654 teeth) was similar to that in CAC-negative group (8 patient, 18.3% of 670 teeth). There was no statistical correlation between CAC and PS in chronic HD patients (P = 0.08). In the subgroup analysis, the presence of diabetes (P = 0.003), parathormone level (P = 0.02), calcium × phosphorus product (P = 0.04), and C-reactive protein levels (P = 0.002) were higher, and duration of HD (P = 0.03) was significantly longer in patients with CAC-positive and PS. In chronic HD patients, the presence of PS was not a strong predictor for the presence of CAC.
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