Calcified triticeous cartilage detected on digital panoramic radiographs

What is it about?

Objective: Triticeous cartilage is a small ovoid structure belonging to the laryngeal skeleton. When calcified, it becomes visible on panoramic radiographs and be mistaken for a carotid artery calcification (CAC) associated with cerebrovascular accidents. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of calcified triticeous cartilage (CTC) detected by means of digital panoramic radiographs in a sample of Lebanese population. Materials and Methods: Digital panoramic radiographs of 500 Lebanese adult patients (281 females and 219 males) with a mean age of 47.9 years were included in this study and examined for CTC. The IBM® SPSS® for Windows version 20.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA) was used to carry out statistical analysis of the data collected. Results: Nearly 10.6% (53 out of 500) of the radiographs examined presented CTC. Of all the calcifications, 11 were on the right side, 5 on the left side, and 37 were bilateral. The cases detected belonged to 31 females and 22 males with an average age of 55.6 years (ranging from 24 to 85 years). Chi‑square test did not show any statistical connection between gender and CTC, while Spearman’s correlation analysis showed low positive correlation with age (r = 0.146). Conclusion: CTC can be detected on panoramic radiographs taken in daily dental practice; its identification is essential to avoid misdiagnosis with other calcifications in the neck region closely related to life‑threatening risks such as CAC.

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Why is it important?

In dentistry, the calcified triticeous cartilage (CTC) represents for the practitioners a major challenge when detected radiologically. Due to its location, it may be mistaken for a carotid artery calcification (CAC) closely related to cerebrovascular accidents.