The prevalence of calcified carotid atheromas on the panoramic radiographs of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Objective: Individuals with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) often die from heart failure without a transplant. Of those who do receive a transplant, a significant number suffer a perioperative stroke, although the cause is often in doubt. Our study attempts to determine whether the prevalence of calcified carotid artery atheromas, a known cause of stroke, is greater on the panoramic radiographs of individuals with DCM than it is among controls.

Study Design: Twenty-seven persons [mean age 62.3 years] enrolled in the UCLA Cardiac Transplantation Program were provided a panoramic radiograph. An age-matched, atherogenic risk-matched cohort of 54 patients free of DCM served as controls. The radiographs of patients in each group were examined for the presence of calcified carotid atheromas.

Results: Nine of the 27 patients with DCM had calcified atheromas, whereas only 2 of the 54 patients in the control group had such lesions. This difference was statistically significant (P<.001).

Conclusions: Panoramic radiographs may be helpful in identifying some DCM patients with occult carotid artery atherosclerosis who may be at risk for a subsequent stroke.