Download COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY FOR DIAGNOSIS OF TWO FACIAL

COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY FOR DIAGNOSIS OF TWO FACIAL
FRACTURES
Nowadays, fractures affecting the maxillofacial bones are increasingly common.
In some of these situations, the diagnosis of these fractures becomes very
difficult using conventional radiographs. The purpose of this study is to present
two cases admitted in the emergency and trauma hospital of Campina Grande,
Paraiba, Brazil, when Computed Tomography reconstructions were essential for
the diagnosis and planning of a mandible head fracture and a medial orbital wall
one. Clinical Case 1: a female patient, nine years, motorcycle accident victim
presented lacerum injury in chin area. Limited mouth opening and no
mandibular bone crepitation were the only signs during physical examination.
The Helicoidal computed Tomography images, showed a mandible head
greenstick fracture, which can hardly be observed in conventional radiographs.
Clinical Case 2: a female patient, age 9, was admitted after a bicycle fall. The
physical examination showed edema and right periorbital ecchymosis, with no
typical signs of facial fracture. The conventional radiographic image did not
show the fracture. The odontology staff requested a multislice computed
tomography, where medial wall orbital fracture is visualized with entrapment of
the eye extrinsic muscle. In the first case, the greenstick fracture easily go
unnoticed in two dimensional imaging, as well as the other one, in the following
case, where the muscle entrapment would also not be diagnosed. Conclusion:
Computed Tomography images should be used in cases of facial fracture to
provide better diagnosis and treatment planning.