title: Tracheobronchial calcifications in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tracheobronchial calcifications are considered a rare radiologic finding in children. Our clinical experience indicates that this finding is not infrequently seen among children with prosthetic heart valves who have been treated with warfarin sodium.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We hypothesized that calcifications of the tracheobronchial tree are more common than previously reported in this patient population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the medical records and imaging studies of children who underwent cardiac valve replacement at our institution to estimate the prevalence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tracheobronchial calcifications were identified on chest radiographs in 6 out of 17 children (35%), indicating that this imaging finding might be frequently overlooked.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All children positive for tracheobronchial calcifications had been anticoagulated with warfarin sodium between the time of surgery and development of positive imaging findings. Our findings suggest that tracheobronchial calcifications are not uncommon in children treated with warfarin. Further investigation is necessary to determine wether there is a cause-effect relationship in these children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157-1009, USA. lgolding@wakehealth.edu
authors.forename: Lauren P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Golding
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Sumner
authors.forename: Thomas A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
mesh_terms: D001982:Bronchial Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D014133:Tracheal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014859:Warfarin / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D014859:Warfarin