FREQUENCY AND PREVALENCE OF AGE AND GENDER-RELATED INTRACRANIAL CALCIFICATIONS WITH ASSOCIATED DISORDERS IN PATIENTS ON COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY SCAN

Abstract

Background: Intracranial calcifications are common findings on non-contrast computed tomography (CT) and may represent physiological or pathological processes. Interpretation requires consideration of age, sex, anatomical location, morphology, pattern, size, associated disorders, and accompanying CT abnormalities. Objective: To determine the frequency and prevalence of age and gender-related intracranial calcifications and identify associated disorders among patients with CT-confirmed intracranial calcifications. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional observational study included 169 patients aged 10–85 years with intracranial calcifications on non-contrast CT brain examinations obtained from Jinnah Hospital and Sharif Medical Complex, Lahore, and Sehar Hospital, Okara. Non-probability convenience sampling was used. Demographic, clinical, and radiological variables were analyzed in SPSS version 27.0 using frequencies, percentages, cross-tabulations, and Pearson’s chi-square tests, with p<0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: Of 169 patients, 95 (56.2%) were female and 74 (43.8%) were male; the 41–55-year group was largest (24.3%). Physiological/age-related calcifications accounted for 56.8% and pathological calcifications for 43.2%. The leading imaging features were pineal location (24.3%), smooth morphology (56.2%), circular peripheral pattern (20.1%), and microcalcification (51.5%). Hypertension (25.4%), diabetes mellitus (18.9%), and infectious disorders (14.8%) were the most frequent associated disorders. Infarct/stroke was the most common associated CT finding (26.6%), whereas 36.7% had no additional CT finding. Age group was significantly associated with congenital disorders (p=0.044), infectious disorders (p<0.001), and other disorders (p=0.033); the association with hypertension was borderline but not statistically significant (p=0.058). Conclusion: Physiological calcifications predominated, although pathological calcifications represented more than two-fifths of cases. Non-contrast CT effectively characterized calcification patterns and associated abnormalities