PREVALENCE OF LARYNGEAL CARTILAGE CALCIFICATIONS IN MANGALORE POPULATION; A RADIOGRAPHIC STUDY

Soft tissue calcifications in the orofacial region are uncommon and are usually asymptomatic in nature. Some of the common calcifications found are Carotid artery calcifications (CAC), Triticeous cartilage, and Superior cornu of the thyroid cartilage, Tonsilloliths and lymph nodes calcifications. Disordered ossification or calcification of ligaments or cartilages may compress neurovascular structures, may be able to cause serious implications in any surgical intervention in the region, may lead to false neurological differential diagnosis or may be benign in nature without any clinical significance. Ossification and calcification of the laryngeal cartilages have been widely investigated since the original study by Chievitz in 1882 1 . The thyroid, cricoid, and greater part of the arytenoid cartilages consist of hyaline cartilage that undergoes calcification and ossification as part of the ageing process. The thyroid cartilage tends to be visible on the cephalometric and lateral neck radiograph when the ossification starts within the lamina or either of the cornua. The cricoids and arytenoid cartilages also become apparent when the ossification begins within their laminae. Radiographs of the head and neck are used to study the growth and development of skeletal structures can be used for identification of these calcifications 2 . A good understanding of the anatomy and the knowledge of variations in the laryngeal cartilage ossification is important for all clinicians especially while interpreting head and neck radiographs of patients who exhibit anatomical or functional deviations from the normal. The lateral cephalometric radiographs are advised more commonly by an orthodontist to look for occlusion and lateral profile of the patient pre and post orthodontic treatment. They also demonstrate the posterosuperior part of the lamina, and the superior cornu of the thyroid cartilage. Laryngeal and related cartilages like the cricoid and triticeal cartilages may also be visualised in the cephalometric radiograph once ossified. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of Laryngeal cartilage calcification among patients attending dental OPD at Mangalore, Dakshina Kannada.