Computed tomography of trauma involving brain and facial skull (craniofacial injuries)

Among head injuries, frontobasal fractures play an important role due to frequently concomitant intracranial complications. Intracranial hematomas, cerebral contusions, depressed fractures, and intracranial air are readily detected by computed tomography (CT). Traumatization of intraorbital structures often associated with blowout fractures and herniation of cerebral parenchyma into the ethmoidal, frontal, or sphenoidal sinuses are best demonstrated by CT. In assessing soft tissue structures, CT is superior to multidirectional tomography, which tends to be more suitable for fine detail study of bony structures. Furthermore, CT is helpful for diagnosing inflammatory processes due to bacterial invasion not infrequently following traumatic communication between the paranasal sinuses and the cranial cavity. Sequelae of head trauma such as posttraumatic porencephaly are clearly demonstrated by CT.