Finding the right tests…
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Finding the right tests…
CT Scan
Add the paranasal sinuses to a routine head CT and you get CT HEAD INCLUD PNS, which images your brain, skull, and the air-filled spaces around your nose, cheekbones, and forehead in one appointment. Doctors order this combined scan when head symptoms overlap with sinus symptoms, such as a headache alongside facial pain, pressure, or long-standing nasal blockage, or after facial trauma where both the skull and sinus walls may be involved. Extending the scan into the sinus region means one appointment can answer questions a routine head CT alone wouldn't cover. The images are read for sinus fluid, thickened lining, bone erosion, and any spread of infection or inflammation toward the eye socket or brain.
There's no lab number here. A radiologist checks the sinus cavities for fluid, thickened lining, or blocked drainage channels, and separately reviews the brain and skull for the same things a standard head CT would look for. Both parts are described in one combined report.
PNS stands for paranasal sinuses, the four pairs of air-filled spaces in the bones of your face. This scan covers your brain and skull the way a routine head CT does, then extends downward and forward to capture those sinus cavities too.
- Headache combined with facial pain, pressure, or a blocked nose that hasn't improved - Suspected sinus infection that might be spreading toward the eye socket or brain - Facial or skull trauma where sinus walls may be fractured along with other bones - Planning before sinus surgery, where surgeons need a detailed map of the bony anatomy
A standard head CT is framed to capture the brain and skull. This version widens that frame to include the maxillary, ethmoid, frontal, and sphenoid sinuses, so inflammation, fluid, or bone changes in those spaces don't get missed just because they sit slightly outside the usual boundary. RadiologyInfo.org notes that CT is considered the best imaging option for evaluating sinusitis, since it shows bone, soft tissue, and blood vessels together.
PNS stands for paranasal sinuses, the air-filled spaces around your nose and behind your cheekbones and forehead. This scan images them along with your brain and skull in one appointment.
If your symptoms could come from either area, like a headache with facial pressure, imaging both at once gives your doctor a fuller picture without a separate visit for a second scan.
Not usually. RadiologyInfo.org notes contrast is rarely needed for sinus imaging and is only added in specific situations, such as suspected spread of infection or a tumor.
It shows signs consistent with sinusitis, like fluid or thickened lining in the sinus cavities, but your doctor combines the images with your symptoms and examination to reach a diagnosis.
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.
Surgeons often request this combined view beforehand, since it maps the bony anatomy of both the sinuses and the surrounding skull. Confirm with your doctor whether this specific scan matches what your surgeon needs.
A plain head CT is framed around the brain and skull alone. This version extends that frame to include the paranasal sinuses, so both areas are captured in a single scan.
It can show whether sinus inflammation or infection has spread toward the eye socket, since that area sits close to the sinuses covered in this scan. Tell your doctor about any eye symptoms so they know what to look for.