Carotid artery calcification in the black population: a retrospective study on panoramic radiographs.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of carotid artery calcification on panoramic radiographs in the Black population.

Methods: Panoramic radiographs of 700 adult male and female Black dental outpatients from the Medical Center of Louisiana Charity Hospital were examined for any unusual radiopacity adjacent to or just below the intervertebral space between C3 and C4.

Results: Three (0.43%) of the 700 patients, with ages ranging from 46 - 77-years-old, had one or more unusual radiopacities in the region of interest. All three were female.

Conclusion: It is uncommon to find radiopacities adjacent to or just below the intervertebral space between C3 and C4 in the general Black population.