Traumatic injuries of the paranasal sinuses

High-resolution imaging, based on CT, has become the expected standard of imaging in severe sinofacial trauma. Imaging must include both bone and soft-tissue detail. Intracranial complications such as hematoma, contusion, and dural tear must be noted and followed appropriately. Early orbital assessment must be included to allow surgical decompression of hematoma or fracture reduction before irreversible changes to the visual pathway occur. Clinical assessment and initial, limited plain films offer an invaluable overview to set up priorities in resuscitation and subsequent direction for more detailed assessment by higher-resolution imaging. Complex facial fractures in noncontiguous structures are increasingly noted with high-velocity trauma. Open communication between clinician and radiologist should prevent only partial assessment of the true extent of involvement. Increasing use of CT (and possibly MRI in the near future) to follow persisting post-reduction complications (Fig. 14)--whether altered position of bone grafts or implants, ocular motility disorders and enophthalmos, or sinus obliteration or ablation--has resulted in the further need for the clinician and radiologist to understand each other's capabilities, in order to offer the patient maximum benefit from his or her imaging referral.