Craniofacial anatomy
In humans, there are two structures that make up the skull in its entirety, viz:
- cerebrum
- craniofacial
The craniofacial protects the organs located in the skull, as well as the brain and other organs located in the head. Most of a person’s senses are located here, so the proper functioning of the entire body depends on this extremely important part of our body. CT scans can successfully diagnose a large proportion of craniofacial pathologies, from bone injuries to oncological lesions.
Indications for craniofacial examination
- evaluation of traumatic lesions of the facial bones
- preoperative evaluation of the facial bones
- evaluation of the progression of benign and malignant tumors, including oncological ones
- Assessment of bone and soft tissue infiltration by tumors
- inflammatory changes
- chronically enlarged lymph nodes
Preparation for a CT scan of the face
Examination of this part of the body can take place both with and without a shadowing agent, so-called contrast, depending on the clinical need. The decision to administer contrast or not to do so is made by the referring physician and/or the radiologist present during the examination at our facility.
When performing this test with contrast, it is necessary to be fasting, and to determine the creatinine level and eGFR from the blood. If the patient has any thyroid problems, he or she should also determine the level of thyrotropin hormone, the so-called TSH level. It is necessary, as for any CT scan and ionizing radiation examination, to bring a current referral for a craniofacial CT scan.