The Evaluation of Incidentally Detected Head and Neck Region Soft Tissue Calcifications and Ossifications on Computed Tomography Images

Year 2022, Volume: 13 Issue: 3, 393 - 401, 20.12.2022

Ezgi Türk , Veysel Atilla Ayyıldız , Özlem Görmez

https://doi.org/10.22312/sdusbed.1120234

Abstract

Aims: Unorganized accumulation of calcium stored in soft tissues is termed as heterotopic calcification, organized accumulation of it is termed as heterotopic ossification. The aim of this study was to evaluate retrospectively all head and neck region soft tissue calcifications/ossifications that are detected incidentally on computed tomography (CT) images of Turkish patients and to analyze them according to age and gender.
Methods: CT images of 917 patients were retrospectively analyzed in terms of the presence of head and neck soft tissue calcification/ossification, and demographic characteristics (age and gender) of the patients were recorded. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistical methods and the relationship between soft tissue calcification/ossification and gender was evaluated with the chi-square test.
Results: Soft tissue calcification/ossification was detected on CT images of 214 (mean age= 61.35±14.7 years, 50.5% female, 49.5% male) of 917 patients examined (23.3%). Among the calcifications/ossifications detected, tonsillolith (n=120, 56.1%), arterial calcifications (n=61, 28.5%) and sialolith (n=15, 7%) were determined in the first three rows. Tonsillolith was significantly more common in female and ossified stylohyoid ligament (OSL) was significantly more common in male (p<0.05).
Conclusions: Soft tissue calcifications/ossifications can be detected incidentally in radiographic images taken from head and neck region for various purposes. In the study, tonsillolith was the most common soft tissue calcification on CT images. It was found that the tonsillolith was statistically higher in female, and the OSL in male. These calcifications/ossifications were most frequently found in patients over age 40.

Keywords

Multidetector computed tomography, physiologic calcification, pathologic calcification, heterotopic ossification

Bilgisayarlı Tomografi Görüntülerinde Rastlantısal Olarak Belirlenen Baş ve Boyun Bölgesi Yumuşak Doku Kalsifikasyonlarının ve Ossifikasyonlarının Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Amaç: Kalsiyumun yumuşak dokularda birikmesine heterotopik kalsifikasyon, organize birikimine heterotopik ossifikasyon denir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Türk hastaların bilgisayarlı tomografi (BT) görüntülerinde rastlantısal olarak saptanan tüm baş ve boyun bölgesi yumuşak doku kalsifikasyonlarını/ossifikasyonlarını retrospektif olarak değerlendirmek yaş ve cinsiyete göre analiz etmektir.
Yöntemler: 917 hastanın BT görüntüleri baş boyun yumuşak doku kalsifikasyonu/ossifikasyonu açısından retrospektif olarak incelendi ve hastaların demografik özellikleri (yaş ve cinsiyet) kaydedildi. Veriler tanımlayıcı istatistiksel yöntemlerle analiz edildi ve yumuşak doku kalsifikasyonu/ossifikasyonu ile cinsiyet arasındaki ilişki ki-kare testi ile değerlendirildi.
Bulgular: İncelenen 917 hastanın (%23,3) 214’ünün (ortalama yaş= 61,35±14,7 yıl, %50,5 kadın, %49,5 erkek) BT görüntülerinde yumuşak doku kalsifikasyonu/ossifikasyonu tespit edildi. Tespit edilen kalsifikasyonlardan/ossifikasyonlardan ilk üç sırada tonsillolit (n=120, %56.1), arteriyel kalsifikasyonlar (n=61, %28.5) ve sialolit (n=15, %7) saptandı. Tonsilolit kadınlarda, ossifiye stilohyoid ligament (OSL) erkeklerde anlamlı olarak daha sıktı (p<0.05).
Sonuç: Baş ve boyun bölgesinden çeşitli amaçlarla alınan radyografik görüntülerde rastlantısal olarak yumuşak doku kalsifikasyonları/ossifikasyonları saptanabilmektedir. Çalışmada, BT görüntülerinde en sık görülen yumuşak doku kalsifikasyonu tonsillolit idi. Kadınlarda tonsillolit, erkeklerde OSL istatistiksel olarak daha yüksek bulundu. Bu kalsifikasyonlar/ossifikasyonlar en sık 40 yaş üstü hastalarda bulundu.

Keywords

Çok kesitli bilgisayarlı tomografi, fizyolojik kalsifikasyon, patolojik kalsifikasyon, heterotopik osifikasyon, Multidetector computed tomography, physiologic calcification, pathologic calcification, heterotopic ossification

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