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Sinus X-rays
1. An x-ray examination is the key to diagnosing sinus problems, such as sinusitis, tumor, or fracture.
- It is a fast, safe, reliable, and economic way to assess abnormalities in sinuses.
- When a sinus X-ray is taken, radiation is momentarily irradiated on the face. X-rays pass through the face to produce an image on film. Structures like bone that are dense and have a high atomic number absorb a lot of X-rays, so less X-rays reach the film and appear white. Fluid, fat, and tumor absorb less X-rays than bone, and appear darker on film. Air in the sinus cavities, which has a low atomic number and density, appears black because most X-rays pass through without being absorbed.
- In the case of sinusitis, the sinuses are filled with inflammatory fluid. It can be detected using X-ray as grayish haziness inside the air-filled black sinuses that are confined in the white bones.
- In spite of the remarkable progress of CT scan or MRI, sinus X-rays continue to provide definitive diagnostic information in many clinical situations, while playing an important role as a simple screening tool in others.
- Conventional sinus X-rays consist of three views:
- Waters view -- used to visualize maxillary sinuses
- Caldwell view -- used to visualize frontal and ethmoid sinuses
- Lateral view
- Additional views:
- Rheese view
- Base views
Stuffed or runny nose
Pain or pressure over the sinuses
Swelling over the sinuses
Traumatic injury in the sinus area
Acute sinusitis
Allergic sinusitis
Infectious sinusitis (viral, bacterial, or fungal)
Chronic sinusitis
Allergic sinusitis
Infectious sinusitis (viral, bacterial or fungal)
Complications of sinusitis
- Mucoceles
- Retention cysts
- Osteomyelitis; infection of bone
Polypoid rhinosinusitis
Granulomatous disease:
- Tuberculosis
- Syphilis
- Wegener's granulomatosis
- Midline granuloma
- Sarcoid
Benign tumor:
- Osteomas
- Epithelial papillomas
- Antrochoanal polyps
- Plasmacytomas
Cancers:
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Adenocarcinoma
- Adenoid cystic carcinoma
- Melanoma
- Lymphoma
Non-neoplastic lesions:
Fracture/hemorrhage of the sinuses
Before the procedure, remove all accessories on your head and face.
You will be asked to stand or sit with your face or temple placed against the photographic plate. The X-ray tube in front of you emits X-rays.
For the picture to be clear without blurring, do not move until the X-ray is taken.
Exposed film is developed, washed, and dried. Then a radiologist (a physician experienced in X-ray and other radiology examinations) places the X-ray film over an illumination box and interprets it. When necessary, it is interpreted in comparison to past film.
No special preparation is needed.
Jewelry, eyeglasses, and other metallic objects can cover an X-ray image and should be removed as needed.
Women should inform their doctor or X-ray technologist if they are pregnant or suspect pregnancy. Special care will be taken during X-ray exams.
A radiologist (a physician specialist trained to interpret X-ray images or other radiology exams, such as CAT scans, MRI, mammography, etc.) reviews the sinus X-rays and reports the results to your personal doctor.
The doctor's office informs patients when the results are in, and what they mean. The office uses the results as a reference in evaluating and treating patients.
Sinus radiography uses X-rays, a type of ionizing radiation that can potentially change chemical and genetic structures in the human body.
Patients are exposed to far less radiation now than they were in the past because X-rays are collimated so that there is almost no X-ray exposure outside the sinus area, X-rays pass through a filter before being irradiated on the body, and high-speed film is used.
For the safety of patients, radiology technologists and radiologists conduct X-ray exams under guidelines set by national and international radiology protection councils.
To minimize radiation exposure to reproductive organs, a lead apron/shield can be placed over testicles (in females, over the pelvic region).
A patient is exposed to 20 miliroentgens of radiation during a regular X-ray exam. But considering that a person is exposed to 100 miliroentgens a year from ultraviolet rays and small traces of uranium in the soil, radiation exposure from an X-ray exam is minimal.
Women should inform their doctor or X-ray technologist if they are pregnant or suspect pregnancy. Special care will be taken during X-ray exams.
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