Incidental findings of calcified carotid arteries and sub-hyoid calcifications in cone beam computed tomography exams

• Grant number: 11/21047-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2012
• End date: December 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Dentistry - Dental Radiology
• Principal Investigator: Izabel Regina Fischer Rubira Bullen
• Grantee: Bárbara Fortunato Prohmann
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia de Bauru (FOB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Bauru , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The cone-beam computed tomography is increasingly a test of choice for dentistry, so soft tissue calcifications located in the head and neck region are incidental findings commonly found in these images. Despite being three-dimensional, some calcifications are difficult to diagnose accurately, as the justification and purpose for achieving them are not for this purpose. Therefore it is necessary to study some of these calcifications that the literature shows as differential diagnoses of the calcified carotid artery which are: tyro-hyoid lateral ligament ossification, and triticeous cartilage calcification, and ossification of the superior horn of thyroid cartilage. All of these calcifications are located in the sub-hyoid region as laryngeal cartilages and are often each other confused, due to their location and anatomy being poorly studied by dentists. The differentiation between these calcifications is important because if the presumptive diagnosis image is calcified artery calcification, the patient should be referred to a medical specialist in order to avoid the possibility of a stroke, very common in patients with calcifications in arteries located in the neck region.(AU)