title: Diagnostic agreement between panoramic radiographs and color Doppler images of carotid atheroma.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the agreement between diagnoses of calcified atheroma seen on panoramic radiographs and color Doppler images. Our interest stems from the fact that panoramic images can show the presence of atheroma regardless of the level of obstruction detected by color Doppler images. Panoramic and color Doppler images of 16 patients obtained from the archives of the Health Department of the city of Valença, RJ, Brazil, were analyzed in this study. Both sides of each patient were observed on the images, with a total of 32 analyzed cervical regions. The level of agreement between diagnoses was analyzed using the Kappa statistics. There was a high level of agreement, with a Kappa value of 0.78. In conclusion, panoramic radiographs can help detecting calcifications in the cervical region of patients susceptible to vascular diseases predisposing to myocardial infarction and cerebrovascular accidents. If properly trained and informed, dentists can refer their patients to a physician for a cardiovascular evaluation in order to receive proper and timely medical treatment.
authors.affiliation: Oral Radiology Division, Dentistru School, Federal Fluminense University, Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Claudia Maria
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Romano-Sousa
authors.forename: Laís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Krejci
authors.forename: Flavilene Marchioro Martins
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Medeiros
authors.forename: Ricardo Gomes
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Graciosa-Filho
authors.forename: Maria Fernanda Fonseca
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Vanessa Novaes
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Guedes
authors.forename: Marlene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fenyo-Pereira
mesh_terms: D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002342:Carotid Artery, External / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D015588:Observer Variation; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color