Finding the right tests…
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Finding the right tests…
X-Ray
For Towne's view, your head tilts back so the X-ray beam travels down through your skull at an angle, rather than straight through as in a standard front-facing film. This angle brings the occipital bone at the back of your skull and the foramen magnum, where your spinal cord passes through, into clear view. It has traditionally been used to check for fractures near the back of the skull and changes in bone shape at the skull base. Skull X-rays, including this view, have become far less common than before, since CT gives a more detailed picture and is preferred for a head injury. Your doctor confirms your neck is safe first, since this view tilts the head back.
The angled beam brings the occipital bone and the foramen magnum, the opening at the base of the skull, into view, along with the petrous parts of the temporal bones on both sides. Your doctor reads it for fracture lines, symmetry, and unusual bone shape at the back and base of the skull.
Towne's view gets its name from the angled position used to take it: your head is tilted so the X-ray beam passes down through the skull at roughly 30 degrees, rather than straight through. This angle moves the dense bone at the front of the skull base out of the way, revealing the occipital region behind and below it.
The main structures brought into view are the occipital bone, the foramen magnum, and the petrous portions of the temporal bones on each side, which should look roughly symmetric in a normal film. It has traditionally been used to look for occipital fractures, to check the shape of the skull base, and alongside other views in evaluating certain skull conditions.
CT scanning has taken over as the preferred way to evaluate the back of the skull and the area around the foramen magnum, since it shows far more detail and is better at ruling out an injury than a single X-ray. This view may still be used as a simple first look, or in settings where CT is not the first option.
Because this view requires tilting your head back, your doctor or the technologist needs to be confident your neck is not injured beforehand, particularly after any trauma. Tell them about any neck pain or recent injury before positioning begins.
The tilt angles the X-ray beam so it passes through the back of your skull more clearly, bringing the occipital bone and the opening at the skull base into view. The technologist positions you carefully for this.
It is one specific angled view among several types of skull X-rays. A standard front or side view does not show the back of the skull and skull base the same way this one does.
CT gives a much more detailed picture of the back of the skull and skull base and is considered more reliable for ruling out injury, which is why it is now generally preferred over this view for that purpose.
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.
Your doctor or the technologist will first confirm your neck is not injured before positioning you for this view, since it involves tilting your head. Tell them about any neck pain before the X-ray.
No, it shows bone, not brain tissue. If a brain injury is suspected, your doctor will typically order a CT scan instead.
Positioning takes a little longer than a straight front-facing X-ray because of the head tilt, but the exposure itself is still just a few minutes in total. Your doctor or technologist will guide you through it step by step.
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.