Prevalence of soft tissue calcifications in the head and neck region: A cone-beam computed tomography study

The aim of this study was to detect the prevalence of soft tissue calcifications in the head and neck using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and to determine their clinical importance.

Soft tissue calcifications in the head and neck region were retrospectively evaluated in 1557 CBCT images obtained between 2013 and 2015. The findings were categorized as follows: tonsillolith (calcified tonsil), carotid artery calcification (CAC), sialolith (salivary stone), calcified triticeous cartilage (CTC), calcified lymph node (CLN), rhinolith, antrolith, calcification of the superior cornu of the thyroid cartilage (CSCTC), calcified stylohyoid ligaments (CSL), myositis ossifican, osteoma cutis, and intracranial calcification. A Chi-square test was performed for categorical variables. In the 1557 CBCT images, 520 (33.4%) contained had at least one soft tissue calcification in the head and neck region.

Tonsilloliths (18.8%) were the most prevalent soft tissue calcification, followed by CTC (5.8%), CAC (4.3%), intracranial calcifications (3.9%), CSL (3.7%), CSCTC (2.1%), osteoma cutis (1%), sialoliths (0.7%), antroliths (0.5%), myositis ossificans (0.4%), rhinoliths, and CLN (0.2%).

There was a high prevalence of soft tissue calcifications in the head and neck region on CBCT images. Tonsilloliths were the most common type of calcification. CBCT imaging may aid the diagnosis and assessment of these calcifications.