Finding the right tests…
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Emergency services available 24 x 7
Finding the right tests…
CT Scan
An injury to the face - a fall, a sporting accident, an assault - is one of the two main reasons this scan gets ordered, the other being sinus or facial structure disease. CT has largely replaced plain X-ray for facial trauma because it shows fine fracture lines in the delicate bones around the eyes, nose, cheekbones, and jaw far more clearly, and it can be reconstructed into the views a surgeon needs for planning repair. The nasal bones alone account for close to half of all facial fractures, and imaging usually isn't needed for those unless a more complex injury is also suspected. This scan builds cross-sectional images of bone and soft tissue together, in one pass.
This scan images the bones of the face - around the eyes, nose, cheekbones, and jaw - along with the sinuses and nearby soft tissue. It shows fractures, sinus disease, and structural abnormalities. Your doctor reads it together with a clinical exam of the face.
There are two broad reasons doctors request a facial CT: trauma, and disease affecting the sinuses or facial bones. After an injury, it checks for fractures around the eye sockets, nose, cheekbones, or jaw. Without trauma, it's used to look at chronic sinus inflammation or other structural facial problems.
CT has largely taken over from plain X-ray for facial injuries because it shows small, complex fracture lines much more clearly, and the images can be rebuilt into different planes, including 3D, which helps a surgeon plan reconstruction if needed. Nasal bone fractures are the single most common facial fracture, but isolated nasal injuries are usually diagnosed by clinical exam alone - imaging is reserved for more complex trauma or when a head injury is also suspected.
- Fractures of the orbital, nasal, cheekbone, or jaw bones - Sinus inflammation or blockage - Facial soft tissue swelling after injury - Structural facial abnormalities
Ask your doctor whether contrast is needed for your specific reason for the scan.
CT shows the small, complex bones of the face in much finer detail than a plain X-ray, which makes it more reliable for finding fractures and planning treatment.
It can, though isolated nasal fractures are usually diagnosed by clinical examination alone. Imaging is generally used when the injury is more complex or a head injury is also suspected.
Yes, it uses X-rays, though the dose for a facial CT is generally on the lower end compared to scans of larger body regions.
Not usually for suspected fracture. Contrast may be added if your doctor is checking for infection or a mass rather than trauma alone.
This page is general information about the test, not medical advice. Your own report's reference ranges apply — please discuss your results with your doctor.
Yes, it shows inflammation, blockage, or structural issues in the sinuses clearly, which is why it's also used outside of trauma for chronic sinus symptoms.
It's a quick scan, generally just a few minutes on the table. Ask the centre for a more precise estimate for your visit.
Earrings, piercings, dentures, and any other removable metal near the face usually need to come off. Ask the centre about anything specific to your situation.