Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

A round-up of the ONWARDS phase 3 clinical trials evaluating the novel weekly insulin icodec in people with diabetes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Clinical Oral Investigations
Published in: Clinical Oral Investigations 1/2017

01-01-2017 | Original Article

Prevalence and imaging characteristics of palatine tonsilloliths evaluated on 2244 pairs of panoramic radiographs and CT images

Authors: Akira Takahashi, Chieko Sugawara, Takaharu Kudoh, Go Ohe, Natsumi Takamaru, Tetsuya Tamatani, Hirokazu Nagai, Youji Miyamoto

Published in: Clinical Oral Investigations | Issue 1/2017

Login to get access

Abstract

Objectives

Palatine tonsilloliths incidentally detected on diagnostic imaging should be differentiated from pathologic calcifications to enable correct diagnosis and treatment. The aim of this study is to clarify the prevalence and imaging characteristics of palatine tonsilloliths on panoramic radiographs.

Materials and methods

We retrospectively reviewed 2244 individuals who underwent pairs of consecutive panoramic radiography and computed tomography (CT) of the head and neck region. The imaging characteristics of palatine tonsilloliths on panoramic radiography were compared with the findings from CT, which was considered the gold standard.

Results

Tonsilloliths were detected in 300 (13.4 %) and 914 (40.7 %) of the 2244 individuals on panoramic radiographs and CT, respectively. On panoramic radiographs, tonsilloliths were superimposed over the ramus of the mandible at the level coincident with and inferior to the soft palate in 176 (7.8 %) and 90 (4.0 %) individuals, respectively. Tonsilloliths were also superimposed over the surrounding soft tissue inferior to the body of the mandible, postero-inferior to the angle of the mandible, and posterior to the ramus of the mandible in 33 (1.5 %), 26 (1.2 %), and 28 (1.3 %) individuals, respectively. A significant correlation was observed between the detectability on panoramic radiographs and the size (Spearman r = 1.000) and number (Spearman r = 0.991) of tonsilloliths, as revealed by CT images.

Conclusions

The present results suggest that tonsilloliths are commonly detected on panoramic radiographs. Furthermore, they can be superimposed on both the mandible and the surrounding soft tissue.

Clinical relevance

Clinicians should include tonsilloliths among the differential diagnoses when calcified bodies are detected on panoramic radiographs.
Literature
1.
de Moura MD, Madureira DF, Noman-Ferreira LC, Abdo EN, de Aguiar EG, Freire AR (2007) Tonsillolith: a report of three clinical cases. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal 12:E130–E133PubMed
2.
Pruet CW, Duplan DA (1987) Tonsil concretions and tonsilloliths. Otolaryngol Clin N Am 20:305–309
3.
4.
Siber S, Hat J, Brakus I, Biocic J, Brajdic D, Zajc I, Bosan-Kilibarda I, Macan D (2012) Tonsillolithiasis and orofacial pain. Gerodontology 29:E1157–E1160CrossRefPubMed
5.
Aspestrand F, Kolbenstvedt A (1987) Calcifications of the palatine tonsillary region: CT demonstration. Radiology 165:479–480CrossRefPubMed
6.
Fauroux MA, Mas C, Tramini P, Torres JH (2013) Prevalence of palatine tonsilloliths: a retrospective study on 150 consecutive CT examinations. Dentomaxillofac Radiol 42:20120429CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
7.
Oda M, Kito S, Tanaka T, Nishida I, Awano S, Fujita Y, Saeki K, Matsumoto-Takeda S, Wakasugi-Sato N, Habu M, Kokuryo S, Kodama M, Kaneuji T, Yoshiga D, Miyamoto I, Nishimura S, Yamashita Y, Maki K, Tominaga K, Yoshioka I, Ansai T, Morimoto Y (2013) Prevalence and imaging characteristics of detectable tonsilloliths on 482 pairs of consecutive CT and panoramic radiographs. BMC Oral Health 13:54CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
8.
Takahashi A, Sugawara C, Kudoh T, Uchida D, Tamatani T, Nagai H, Miyamoto Y (2014) Prevalence and imaging characteristics of palatine tonsilloliths detected by CT in 2,873 consecutive patients. Sci World J 2014:4
9.
Ergun T, Lakadamyali H (2013) The prevalence and clinical importance of incidental soft-tissue findings in cervical CT scans of trauma population. Dentomaxillofac Radiol 42:20130216CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
10.
Mesolella M, Cimmino M, Di Martino M, Criscuoli G, Albanese L, Galli V (2004) Tonsillolith. case report and review of the literature. Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital 24:302–307PubMed
11.
Cooper MM, Steinberg JJ, Lastra M, Antopol S (1983) Tonsillar calculi. report of a case and review of the literature. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol 55:239–243CrossRefPubMed
12.
Ozcan E, Ural A, Oktemer TK, Alpaslan G (2006) Bilateral tonsillolithiasis: a case report. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol 102:E17–E18CrossRef
13.
Ram S, Siar C, Ismail S, Prepageran N, Lumpur K (2004) Pseudo bilateral tonsilloliths: a case report and review of the literature. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol 98:110–114CrossRef
14.
Neshat K, Penna K, Shah D (2001) Tonsillolith: a case report. J Oral Maxil Surg 59:692–693CrossRef
15.
Sezer B, Tugsel Z, Bilgen C (2003) An unusual tonsillolith. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol 95:471–473CrossRef
16.
Guevara C, Mandel L (2011) Panoramic radiographic demonstration of bilateral tonsilloliths. NY State Dent J 77:28–30
17.
Revel M, Laccourreye O, Hartl D, Bely N, Naudo P, Brasnu D (1998) Giant tonsillolith. Ann Oto Rhinol Laryn 107:262–263CrossRef
18.
Mody R, Srivastava S (2009) Bilateral multiple tonsilloliths. Oral Radiol 25:67–70CrossRef
19.
Kumagai M, Yamagishi T, Fukui N, Chiba M (2007) Carotid artery calcification seen on panoramic dental radiographs in the Asian population in Japan. Dentomaxillofac Radiol 36:92–96CrossRefPubMed
20.
Katanoda K, Saika K, Yamamoto S, Tanaka S, Oshima A, Nakamura M, Satoh H, Tajima K, Suzuki T, Tamakoshi A, Tsugane S, Sobue T (2011) Projected cancer mortality among Japanese males under different smoking prevalence scenarios: evidence for tobacco control goal setting. Jpn J Clin Oncol 41:483–489CrossRefPubMed
21.
Murakami Y, Ueshima H, Okamura T, Kadowaki T, Hozawa A, Kita Y, Hayakawa T, Okayama A, Grp NDR (2007) Life expectancy among Japanese of different smoking status in Japan: NIPPON DATA80. J Epidemiol 17:31–37CrossRefPubMed
22.
Almog DM, Tsimidis K, Moss ME, Gottlieb RH, Carter LC (2000) Evaluation of a training program for detection of carotid artery calcifications on panoramic radiographs. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 90:111–117CrossRefPubMed
23.
Katz JO, Langlais RP, Underhill TE, Kimura K (1989) Localization of paraoral soft tissue calcifications: the known object rule. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol 67:459–463CrossRefPubMed
24.
Bayer S, Helfgen EH, Bös C, Kraus D, Enkling N, Mues S (2011) Prevalence of findings compatible with carotid artery calcifications on dental panoramic radiographs. Clin Oral Investig 15:563–569CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Prevalence and imaging characteristics of palatine tonsilloliths evaluated on 2244 pairs of panoramic radiographs and CT images
Authors
Akira Takahashi
Chieko Sugawara
Takaharu Kudoh
Go Ohe
Natsumi Takamaru
Tetsuya Tamatani
Hirokazu Nagai
Youji Miyamoto
Publication date
01-01-2017
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Clinical Oral Investigations / Issue 1/2017
Print ISSN: 1432-6981
Electronic ISSN: 1436-3771
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00784-016-1752-0

Other articles of this Issue 1/2017

Clinical Oral Investigations 1/2017 Go to the issue

Original Article

Dentists’ attitudes and behaviour regarding deep carious lesion management: a multi-national survey

Letter to the Editor

Clinical relevance for the use of ozone to enhance the remineralizing potential of n-HAP on initial enamel lesions

Original Article

Effectiveness of resin-based materials against erosive and abrasive enamel wear

Original Article

Evaluation of IL-1β, IL-1ra, and IL-10 levels and outcome of periodontal therapy in chronic periodontitis with familial Mediterranean fever

Original Article

Effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on tooth extraction sites in rats subjected to bisphosphonate therapy—histomorphometric and immunohistochemical analysis

Original Article

Movement control during aspiration with different injection systems via video monitoring—an in vitro model