Carotid atheroma detected by panoramic radiography and ultrasonography in patients with metabolic syndrome

Abstract

Objective: To determine the sensitivity and specificity of panoramic radiography in detecting carotid atheromas in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) by comparing ultrasonographic findings. Methods: Panoramic radiography and ultrasonography were performed in 85 MetS patients to determine the presence of carotid atheroma. The panoramic radiographic findings were classified into calcified plaque and no calcified plaque. The ultrasonic findings were divided into four groups: calcified plaque, calcified and soft (mixed) plaque, soft plaque, and no plaque. Results: In identifying calcified carotid plaques, panoramic radiography had a sensitivity of 42.19%, a specificity of 97.17%, a positive predictive value of 90.00%, and a negative predictive value of 73.57%. Of 170 carotid sites, ultrasonography identified 37 calcified plaques and 9 soft plaques that were not detected by panoramic radiography. Conclusions: Panoramic radiography has moderate sensitivity and high specificity in detecting calcified carotid plaques and is limited in the detection of soft carotid plaques. © 2011 Japanese Society for Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology and Springer.