Calcification of Carotid Arteries

Abstract

With proper technique, the standard 6-ft. posterior-anterior radiograph of the chest usually provides a satisfactory sof t \ x=req-\ tissue study of the cervical portion of the carotid arteries. In a random study of 1,000 chest radiographs of persons more than 40 years of age, 216 individuals demonstrated carotid calcification. There is a rising frequency with aging. For corresponding age groups, carotid calcification is somewhat more frequent in males than in females. In individuals more than 80 years of age, aortic arch calcification is practically universal, and carotid calcification is visible in 70% or more of both sexes. CALCIFICATION in the cervical portion of the carotid arteries is a common occurrence in elderly individuals and may often be seen in routine radiographs of the chest. Radiologically visible calcifications in the aorta have been extensively discussed in the medical literature, but similar changes in the cervical portions of the carotids have received little attention. A comprehensive study of atherosclerosis of the carotid sinus, including a re¬ view of the literature, was published by Montaldo and Costa ' in 1960. Although this report dealt with the anatomical and pathological features rather than with the radiographie aspect, calcification was a frequent finding. The roentgen appearance of carotid artery calcification has been most recently described by Engels.2 The present study was un¬ dertaken in order to assess the value of routine radiographs of the chest in demonstrating the fre¬ quency and degree of visible carotid calcification and age distribution of the patients involved. It is From the departments of radiology (Dr. Ring) and internal medicine (Dr. Eddy), University of Vermont College of Medicine. anticipated that these findings will serve as a base¬ line for determining the possible significance of these calcifications. MethodsStandard posterior-anterior radiographs of the chest were reviewed for consecutive patients who were more than 40 years of age. All films were from the radiology department of the Mary Fletcher Hospital, were taken in the year 1961, and include examinations of both inpatients and outpatients.For the purpose of this study, radiographs were considered acceptable if they were of good techni¬ cal quality with the cervical spine shown to at least the upper border of the fourth cervical vertebra and if they allowed satisfactory visualization of the aortic arch.Of 1,196 patients reviewed, 196 had radiographs that were unsatisfactory, primarily because of faulty positioning so that only the lower cervical vertebrae were projected on the film. The 196 rejected pa¬ tients came from all age groups, and the only in¬ dividuals who were consistently excluded were those whose thoraxes were so broad that the radio¬ graphs were exposed with the long diameter in the horizontal plane, resulting in an inadequate view of the neck. The number of these individuals was considered too small to affect the validity of the total findings. The degree of calcification in either carotid...

Identification of stroke-prone patients by panoramic and cervical spine radiography.

“…Atherosclerotic disease (thrombus and emboli formation) in the area of the bifurcation of the common carotid artery is the most common (60%) cause of stroke 2 . Such lesions are often partially calcified and visible on plain radiographs of the skull, facial bones and cervical spine [3][4][5][6][7] . Although this area is visualized on panoramic dental radiographs, dentists do not routinely report the presence of calcified carotid atheromas.…”