Case Report: Dental volumetric tomography in the radiological detection of carotid artery calcification

Atherosclerosis, a progressive inflammatory disorder, may lead to coronary heart disease (e.g., angina, myocardial infarction, and sudden death), cerebrovascular disease (e.g., stroke and transient ischemic attack) or peripheral vascular disease (e.g., claudication and critical limb ischemia). Atherosclerosis and its outcomes represent important health problems both in developed countries and in developing countries (1). Atherosclerosis is caused by an abnormal accumulation of lipids on the walls of the arteries. The carotid bifurcation region is at the highest risk of atherosclerosis because of turbulent flow, flow velocity and shear stress (1, 2).