Tomography of the maxillofacial region
Last reviewed: 18.10.2021
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Tomography of the maxillofacial region is used in case of difficulties in evaluating the summation image in conventional pictures.
These difficulties can be caused, in particular, by the complex anatomical structure of the maxillofacial region. A layered study is performed with diseases of the paranasal sinuses (maxillary, lattice labyrinth), temporomandibular joint, to detect small bone fragments around the orbit. Before the advent of computer and magnetic resonance tomography, a layered study of temporomandibular joints was the method of choice. The tomography of the lower jaw is less frequent, mainly in cases of pronounced hyperplastic reactions that make it difficult to assess the state of bone tissue.
Recently, tomography is often replaced by zonography - a layer-by-layer investigation with a tube swing angle of 8 °. The thickness of the cut is 1.5-2.5 cm, which makes it possible to reduce the number of images and reduce the radiation load practically without loss of information content. The image of the area under investigation is obtained more clearly and contrastively
Zonography at a depth of 4-5 cm in the frontal-nasal projection in the vertical position of the patient is a method of choice in detecting effusion and assessing the state of the mucous membrane of the maxillary sinus.