The Utility of Thin Section CT in Pediatric Nasal Bone Fracture.

Kang, Seok Joo; Kim, Soon Keol

Original Article

Journal of Korean Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association 2003;4(2):104-106.

Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, College of Medicine, Inje University, Ilsan Paik Hospital, Kyunggido, Korea. sonydr@hanmail.net

Abstract

The incidence of facial bone fracture in children is relatively uncommon compared with that in adults. Nasal bone fracture in children may cause cosmetic or functional disabilities, so the patients should be properly treated. The diagnosis of nasal bone fracture in children is difficult because the pediatric patient does not permit the most gentle examination and x-ray examination. Failure to confirm a suspected fracture on radiography should not always deter treatment. Clinical judgment should overrule other consideration. The advent of computerized tomographic (CT) scanning has improved the radiologic diagnosis of facial fractures. But the facial bone CT is unable to image the nasal structures in detail. So the authors have performed thin section computed tomography in such children, and compares the accuracy of child`s nasal bone fractures of thin section CT scan with traditional CT scan.

Keywords: Nasal bone fracture; Child; Thin section CT