Heterotopic Calcifications in Panoramic Radiography: A Case Study of Patients Referred to Kashan Radiology Centers in 2020 to 2021

Abstract

Introduction: Heterotopic calcifications are usually observed as random findings in panoramic imaging, and in some cases, they can indicate an underlying disease in patients. This study was carried out with the aim of determining the prevalence of heterotopic calcifications in panoramic radiographs of patients referred to radiology clinics in Kashan in 2020–2021.

Method: This research was a cross-sectional descriptive study in which radiographic images of 990 patients were examined. The investigated features, including the type, location, number of lesions in each person and whether they are unilateral or bilateral, prevalence and type of heterotopic calcification, and their location, were recorded and analyzed.

Findings: In this study, 990 radiographic images were examined, of which 320 cases (32.32%) had calcification, and these lesions were not related to the age and gender of the patients. The most common sites of heterotopic calcification in people referred for panoramic imaging were the ligament (83.8%) and tonsillitis (9.1%), respectively. In this study, 70% of the participants had bilateral heterotopic calcification, and in 92.5% of cases, they had only one calcification. In examining the location of calcification only in tonsillitis lesions, the male population was significantly higher than the female population (p = 0.008). In the location of other lesions, there was no difference between male and female populations (p > 0.05). In examining the side of the lesions and the number of calcification cases, there was no significant difference between male and female populations (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: In this study, ossification of the stylohyoid ligament and calcification of the tonsils were the most prevalent among soft tissue calcifications in the head and neck region. In this study, the prevalence of soft tissue calcifications in the head and neck area was not related to the age and gender of the patients, except for the cases of calcification in the tonsils area, which were related to male gender. Most of the lesions were bilateral, often one.