This study aimed to analyze the characteristics of carotid artery calcification (CAC) in stroke and nonstroke patients using computed tomography angiographic (CTA) and panoramic images.

This is a retrospective study on patients who acquired both CTA and panoramic images at the Neurology Department of Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, South Korea, between 2011 and 2016. The patients were divided into stroke (n = 109) and nonstroke (n = 355) groups based on the final diagnosis. CAC was analyzed in each group based on its presence, shape, and severity using the χ test. The differences in age and sex between the two groups were examined using a two-sample t-test. A measure of intraobserver reliability was obtained using Cohen’s κ index.

CAC was more frequently observed in the stroke group than in the nonstroke group using both CTA (stroke group, 100%; nonstroke group, 23.1%) and panoramic (stroke group, 83.5%; nonstroke group, 16.6%) images. Although scattered CAC shape and mild severity occupied the largest portion in both groups, vessel-outlined CAC was more common in nonstroke patients than in stroke patients. In age and sex analyses, only females patients in their 70 s showed significant differences in CAC shape between the stroke and nonstroke groups.

On both CTA and panoramic images, although CAC is found more frequently in the stroke group, vessel-outlined shaped CAC in the nonstorke group shows significant differences compared to other shapes.