Phlebolith

Phleboliths (seen as punctiform calcifications) in the scrotum of an individual with varicocoele.

A phlebolith is a small local, usually rounded, calcification within a vein. These are very common in the veins of the lower part of the pelvis, and they are generally of no clinical importance.^[1] When located in the pelvis they are sometimes difficult to differentiate from kidney stones in the ureters on X-ray.^[2]

Phleboliths in the pelvic region are present in about 44.2% of people and are more common in females (50.1%) than males (37.3%). The amount of phleboliths increases with age and they also appear more often on the left than on the right side of the pelvic region.^[3] Phleboliths outside the pelvic region appear in about 2% of the population.^[4]

Indications

Phleboliths can be diagnostic for venous malformations.

References

1. Rosin, Danny; Rogers, Paul N.; Cheetham, Mark; Schein, Moshe, eds. (2020). "Chapter 5: Abdominal Imaging". Schein's Common Sense Emergency Abdominal Surgery (5th ed.). Shrewsbury: TFM Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-910079-88-1 – via Perlego.
2. "Stedman's Medical Dictionary, 28th ed". Reference Reviews. 21 (1): 41–42. 2007-01-23. doi:10.1108/09504120710719671. ISSN 0950-4125.
3. Mattsson, Tor (January 1980). "Frequency and location of pelvic phleboliths". Clinical Radiology. 31 (1): 115–118. doi:10.1016/s0009-9260(80)80095-x. ISSN 0009-9260. PMID 7357820.
4. Curry, Nancy S.; Cleave Ham, F.; Schabel, Stephen I. (January 1983). "Suprapelvic phleboliths: Prevalence, distribution and clinical associations". Clinical Radiology. 34 (6): 701–705. doi:10.1016/s0009-9260(83)80439-5. ISSN 0009-9260. PMID 6673892.