title: Prevalence of palatine tonsilloliths: a retrospective study on 150 consecutive CT examinations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the prevalence of palatine tonsilloliths.
  
  
  METHODS
  150 consecutive CT examinations (75 males and 75 females) were read.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tonsilloliths were found in 37 patients (24.6%; confidence interval 17.7-31.6%), of which 18 (48%) had a bilateral location. No influence of sex or age was observed (p = 0.37 and p = 0.57, respectively). 26 patients (70%) had more than 1 concretion. The largest tonsillolith was 7 mm. None of the tonsilloliths found were involved in the reason for prescribing the CT. The radiographic density of the tonsilloliths was between 216 and 2959 HU.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Palatine tonsilloliths could affect approximately one-quarter of the population. This prevalence is likely to be underestimated in daily clinical practice because small concretions do not result in any functional impairment and are not visible on orthopantomographs.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Odontologie, Pôle Neurosciences Tête et Cou, CHRU de Montpellier cedex 5, F-34295 Montpellier, France. ma-fauroux@chu-montpellier.fr
authors.forename: M-A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fauroux
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mas
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tramini
authors.forename: J-H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D033162:Incidental Findings; D020347:Lithiasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015995:Prevalence; D011862:Radiography, Panoramic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Tomography; Tonsillitis/radiography; X-ray computed