Table 5. Prevalence rates of soft tissue calcifications identified by cone beam computed tomography and in the full size of panoramic radiography in reported studies.
DPR: digital panoramic radiograph; STC: soft tissue calcification; OSHC: ossified stylohyoid complex; MAWC: mean age with calcification; MAWOC: mean age without calcification; y/o: years old; MX-FOV: maxilla; MD-FOV: mandible; MM-FOV: maxilla and mandible; Excl: except for; PWC: patients with calcification
| Reference (year), total sample, n | Imaging modality + FOV | Age of total sample and MAWOC | Prevalence of calcification and MAWC | Most common type of calcification in PWC | Gender-age Comparison in PWC |
| Current study (2022), n = 9,533 | Full size of DPR | 18–93, MAWOC: 39.24± y/o | 35.8% (n = 3418), AWC: 44.34± | OSHC (10.3%) | Females related to age and gender |
| Maia et al.(2021) [21], n = 1,176 | Full size of DPR | >60 years, MAWOC: 67.47 y/o | 43%, AWC: No report | CSHTC (23.6%) | Females |
| Akgunlu (2019) [22], n = 4,263 | Full size of DPR | 6–89 years, MAWOC: 27.44± | 6.4% (n: 270), AWC: 40.37± y/o | Tonsillolith (2.5%) | No significant difference between genders; related to increasing age |
| Ribeiro et al.(2018) [23], n = 2,375 | Full size of DPR | 3–90 y/o, MAWOC: No report | 19.7% (n: 420), AWC: No report | OSHC (13.1%) | Not gender related; related with increasing age |
| Bayramov et al. (2022) [24], n = 1,566 | Maxillofacial CBCT | 18–80 y/o, MAWOC: No report | 24.9 % (n: 390), AWC: 47.3± | Tonsillolith (53.6%) | Different rates across age/gender groups depending on STC type |
| Elhadidy et al.(2021) [25], n = 417 | Large FOV CBCT | 10–80 y/o, MAWOC: No report | 22.54% (n: 94), MAWC: 42.07± | OSHC (16.55%) | Higher in males; different rates across age groups depending on STC type |
| Yalcin and Ararat (2020) [26], n = 1,557 | 16 × 5, 16 × 9, 16 × 16 cm | 11–84 y/o, MAWOC: 35.25± | 33.4% (n: 520), MAWC: 44.22± y/o | Tonsillolith (18.8%) | Predominant in males, significantly higher in older patients |
| Missias et al. (2018), [27] n = 1,000 | MX-FOV 57.2% MD-FOV 60.6% MM-FOV 76.8% | <30–≥ 60 y/o, AWOC: No report | 62.6% (n: 626), MAWC: No report | Tonsillolith OSHC | No significant association with age or gender |
| Patil et al. (2017) [28], n = 624 | Maxillofacial CBCT | Age range: MAWOC: 43.74± y/o | 25.48% (n: 159), MAWC: 48.64± y/o | Arteriosclerosis (45.91%) | Predominant in females and advanced age |
| Wells and Adam (2011) [29], n = 308 | MM-FOV MD-FOV Full 13.2 c m | 7–86 years, MAWOC: 47.5± y/o | 34.75% (n: 107), MAWC: 59.5 | CTC (32.3%) | Predominance in females; calcifications found in older patients |