Could carotid artery calcifications and pulp stones be an alarm sign for diabetes mellitus? A retrospective observational study

Abstract Background Carotid artery calcifications and pulpal stones are radiopaque findings that may be found accidentally in panoramic views. The risk of affliction with atherosclerotic events in diabetic patients with dystrophic calcification is questionable. This study aimed to investigate the re...

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Main Authors: Motahare Baghestani, Mohadese Faregh, Seyed Hossein Razavi, Fatemeh Owlia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-08-01
Series:BMC Endocrine Disorders
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12902-025-02005-z
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author Motahare Baghestani
Mohadese Faregh
Seyed Hossein Razavi
Fatemeh Owlia
author_facet Motahare Baghestani
Mohadese Faregh
Seyed Hossein Razavi
Fatemeh Owlia
author_sort Motahare Baghestani
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Carotid artery calcifications and pulpal stones are radiopaque findings that may be found accidentally in panoramic views. The risk of affliction with atherosclerotic events in diabetic patients with dystrophic calcification is questionable. This study aimed to investigate the relative frequency of carotid calcifications and pulp stones in panoramic radiographs of diabetic patients. Methods This retrospective observational study employed a convenience sampling method involving 107 diabetic patients. For comparison, 300 panoramic views from individuals estimated to be healthy in the community were included. The samples were randomly selected from the statistical population using a random numbers table. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation, as well as analytical tests such as the chi-square test, all performed with SPSS 17 software (Chicago, USA). Results In this study, panoramic radiographs of 107 diabetic patients (67 women and 40 men) and 300 healthy individuals (196 women and 104 men) were evaluated. The age range was 25 to 64 years, with a mean age of 49.7. The frequency of carotid artery calcification was 42 (14%) in healthy individuals and 44 (41.1%) in diabetic patients. Furthermore, the relative frequency of unilateral and bilateral carotid artery calcification in diabetic patients was significantly higher than in healthy subjects (P < 0.05). The Relative Risk (RR) of pulp stones in the diabetic patient group compared to healthy individuals was 1.8. With a 95% confidence interval, the relative risk ranged from 1.3 to 2.48, which was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusions Based on the findings, the frequency of carotid artery calcification and pulp stones was higher in diabetic patients. Panoramic radiographic screening in diabetic patients is useful for early detection of carotid artery calcification and timely referral of patients to endocrinologists to prevent adverse sequelae.
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spelling doaj-art-64cbe63c3d3443e2ae23da6cbcd89e922025-08-20T03:43:16ZengBMCBMC Endocrine Disorders1472-68232025-08-0125111010.1186/s12902-025-02005-zCould carotid artery calcifications and pulp stones be an alarm sign for diabetes mellitus? A retrospective observational studyMotahare Baghestani0Mohadese Faregh1Seyed Hossein Razavi2Fatemeh Owlia3Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, School of Dentistry, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical SciencesDentist, School of Dentistry, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, School of Dentistry, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical SciencesDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine, School of Dentistry, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical SciencesAbstract Background Carotid artery calcifications and pulpal stones are radiopaque findings that may be found accidentally in panoramic views. The risk of affliction with atherosclerotic events in diabetic patients with dystrophic calcification is questionable. This study aimed to investigate the relative frequency of carotid calcifications and pulp stones in panoramic radiographs of diabetic patients. Methods This retrospective observational study employed a convenience sampling method involving 107 diabetic patients. For comparison, 300 panoramic views from individuals estimated to be healthy in the community were included. The samples were randomly selected from the statistical population using a random numbers table. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation, as well as analytical tests such as the chi-square test, all performed with SPSS 17 software (Chicago, USA). Results In this study, panoramic radiographs of 107 diabetic patients (67 women and 40 men) and 300 healthy individuals (196 women and 104 men) were evaluated. The age range was 25 to 64 years, with a mean age of 49.7. The frequency of carotid artery calcification was 42 (14%) in healthy individuals and 44 (41.1%) in diabetic patients. Furthermore, the relative frequency of unilateral and bilateral carotid artery calcification in diabetic patients was significantly higher than in healthy subjects (P < 0.05). The Relative Risk (RR) of pulp stones in the diabetic patient group compared to healthy individuals was 1.8. With a 95% confidence interval, the relative risk ranged from 1.3 to 2.48, which was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusions Based on the findings, the frequency of carotid artery calcification and pulp stones was higher in diabetic patients. Panoramic radiographic screening in diabetic patients is useful for early detection of carotid artery calcification and timely referral of patients to endocrinologists to prevent adverse sequelae.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12902-025-02005-zCarotid artery atheromaDiabetes mellitusPanoramic radiographyPrevalencePulp stones
spellingShingle Motahare Baghestani
Mohadese Faregh
Seyed Hossein Razavi
Fatemeh Owlia
Could carotid artery calcifications and pulp stones be an alarm sign for diabetes mellitus? A retrospective observational study
BMC Endocrine Disorders
Carotid artery atheroma
Diabetes mellitus
Panoramic radiography
Prevalence
Pulp stones
title Could carotid artery calcifications and pulp stones be an alarm sign for diabetes mellitus? A retrospective observational study
title_full Could carotid artery calcifications and pulp stones be an alarm sign for diabetes mellitus? A retrospective observational study
title_fullStr Could carotid artery calcifications and pulp stones be an alarm sign for diabetes mellitus? A retrospective observational study
title_full_unstemmed Could carotid artery calcifications and pulp stones be an alarm sign for diabetes mellitus? A retrospective observational study
title_short Could carotid artery calcifications and pulp stones be an alarm sign for diabetes mellitus? A retrospective observational study
title_sort could carotid artery calcifications and pulp stones be an alarm sign for diabetes mellitus a retrospective observational study
topic Carotid artery atheroma
Diabetes mellitus
Panoramic radiography
Prevalence
Pulp stones
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12902-025-02005-z
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