Radiology · patient case question
A panoramic film shows a curved radiopaque structure in the lower part of the image, below the mandible. This is:
Patient case: Reading the panoramic film
demo: Series of radiographic interpretation items
chief: Assorted radiographic findings and technique errors from a single clinic session.
history: Several patients imaged the same morning; the films are reviewed together at the end of the day.
meds: Not applicable.
findings: One panoramic film shows the right ramus and posterior teeth appreciably wider than the left. Another shows two ring-shaped radiopacities superimposed over one maxillary sinus and three over the other, in a patient wearing earrings. A third shows a curved radiopacity in the lower field. An occlusal film shows a soft tissue shadow over the incisal edges of the anterior teeth.
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. The hyoid bone
- A. Correct. The hyoid bone appears frequently on panoramic films as a curved radiopacity below the mandible, often superimposed over the mandibular body or projected bilaterally. It is normal anatomy and needs no action.
- B. A carotid atheroma appears as a vertical linear or nodular calcification at about the level of C3 to C4, adjacent to the greater cornu of the hyoid, and its recognition warrants medical referral.
- C. The epiglottis may appear as a soft tissue shadow in the airway but is far less dense and does not have this curved bony outline.
- D. The styloid process runs downward and forward from the skull base near the mastoid. When elongated and mineralised, as in Eagle syndrome, it appears as a slender spike, not a broad curved body.