[5 conventional radiographic projections are necessary and sufficient for the study of the zygoma. Technics and...

Though clinic examination gives us much information, radiology still is essential in head trauma. Many standard radiographic projections have been described in the past and yet since the eighties it appears that C.T. scanner (C.T.) has become absolutely necessary to a great number of us. In fact, C.T. is indispensable when there is a matter of vital urgency or when a functional problem appears (diplopia). But most of the time high quality standard radiographic projections are sufficient. We have selected five radiographic projections: the occipito-mental's such as Mahoney's or Blondeau or Louisette, the submento-vertical's, the rotated occipito-mental's. For each of these radiographic projections we have specified the angular definition, the realization techniques, the criterions of quality and the results. The use of conventional radiology gives us images of which the quality is high enough to allow a precise topographical diagnosis and is far cheaper than C.T. So we can assert that standard radiographic projections are necessary and sufficient and that the use of C.T. becomes indispensable only in the few cases of diplopia or enophthalmia or complicated maxillary fracture. In the case of a lateral head trauma, our strategy of radiographic exploration will be represented as indicated on picture n degrees 20.