Soft Tissue Calcification in Oral and Maxillofacial Imaging: A Pictorial Review

Pathologic calcification of soft tissues occurs when calcium salts, essentially calcium phosphate, are deposited in an unorganized fashion in soft tissue (heterotopic calcification). There are three types of heterotopic calcification: 1) Dystrophic calcification which occurs in degenerating, inflamed, and necrotic tissues. 2) Metastatic calcification results when calcium salts are precipitated in normal tissue as a result of abnormal high levels of blood calcium or phosphate. 3) Idiopathic calcification (calcinosis) occurs in normal tissue despite normal blood calcium level.