Finding the right tests…
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Finding the right tests…
X-Ray
A side-on picture of your skull, ear to ear on one plane, is what a skull lateral X-ray gives you, showing the vault, the skull base, and the sella turcica, a small bony saddle near the centre of the base, in outline. It is often the view your doctor reaches for when skull shape or the sella region needs a general look, and it is commonly paired with a front view rather than read alone. Like other skull X-rays, this view has become less central to diagnosis since CT scanning began showing bone and soft tissue in far more detail. It remains useful for a quick check of bone thickness, sella shape, or a fracture line along the skull's side.
The film shows your skull in profile, including the bony vault, the base of the skull, and the outline of the sella turcica near its centre. Your doctor reads it for fracture lines, bone thickness, and the general shape of the sella, usually alongside a front view rather than on its own.
A skull lateral X-ray captures your skull from the side, so the beam passes through from one side of your head to the other. This angle shows the skull in profile, which brings certain structures into view that a front-facing image does not.
The main features read on this view are the outline and thickness of the skull bones, the shape of the sella turcica near the skull base, and any visible fracture line running through the side of the skull. In some settings, it has also been used to look at skull bone changes linked to conditions such as Paget's disease or a growth affecting the sella region.
A side view alone tells you about depth, front to back, but not how the skull looks from side to side, which is why an AP view is commonly taken with it. As with other skull X-rays, CT scanning has largely become the preferred method when a head injury or a brain-related concern needs closer evaluation, since it shows soft tissue in addition to bone.
You will typically sit or lie with the side of your head against the imaging plate, and stay still while the image is taken, which only takes a few minutes.
The sella turcica is a small bony saddle near the skull base, visible in outline on this side view. Its shape can be part of what your doctor checks, though detailed pituitary evaluation usually needs MRI.
The side view shows depth, front to back, but not how the skull looks from side to side. An AP view fills in that missing dimension, so the two are often read together.
No, it shows bone only, not brain tissue. If a brain-related concern is suspected, your doctor will typically order a CT or MRI scan instead.
No. A lateral cephalogram uses a fixed head frame and standardised distance for precise measurements, mainly for orthodontic planning. A skull lateral X-ray is a more general side view without that same fixed setup.
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.
You will typically rest the side of your head against the imaging plate while the technologist positions you. Stay still until they tell you the image is done.
Yes, jewellery, hairpins, glasses, and any removable dental appliance near the head are usually asked to be removed beforehand. The technologist will tell you exactly what needs to come off.
Tell your doctor and the technologist if you are or might be pregnant before the scan. Your doctor will confirm whether the X-ray is needed now or can wait.