An x-ray of the sinuses is prescribed by doctors if you suspect that the patient has sinusitis (an inflammatory process in the maxillary sinuses). The examination helps to identify the disease at the initial stage of its development and begin effective treatment that will help stop the development of the lesion and prevent the occurrence of complications. It is important to determine where you can take a picture of the sinuses.
Description of procedure
The procedure is carried out in several projections:
A picture of healthy sinuses of the nose is carried out in the nasal-chin projection, during the procedure, the patient rests on the stand of the radiographic device with his chin and nose. An x-ray helps to accurately determine the condition of the maxillary sinuses and to identify all the disorders that occur in them.
Main indications
A shot of the sinuses of the nose is an effective diagnostic method, with which you can get all the necessary information about the condition of the examined organ and perineal bones. Such a procedure is prescribed to patients in the following cases:
- with regular nosebleeds that occur for no apparent reason;
- open or closed damage to the bones or cranial facial part;
- with a high risk of sinusitis (in this case, the following symptoms are common in a person: severe pain in the head, rhinitis, fever, difficulties with the respiratory system);
- another indication for the diagnosis is a suspicion of the presence of polyps, cysts, tumor formations, adenoids and other extraneous formations in the nasal cavity;
- to assess the effectiveness of the treatment;
- to prepare for surgery.
Common X-ray contraindications
Some people can’t take a picture of the sinuses due to certain contraindications to the procedure. It is prohibited for pregnant women and children under seven years of age. The procedure does not provoke the development of pain and is characterized by a small dose of radiation entering the human body. Such examination is contraindicated for pregnant women, since at this time the fetus is very hypersensitive to external negative factors. In some cases, radiography during pregnancy causes a newborn to have abnormalities in the structure of the body.
For children under the age of seven years, an x-ray is prescribed in very rare cases, since gamma rays can adversely affect the growth and development of the child’s bones. In extreme cases, specialists resort to examining the sinuses of the child using this method (if the examination is more useful than the possible harm received after it).
Sinusitis on an x-ray
In the picture of sinuses with sinusitis, the doctor can detect highly darkened areas of the upper horizontal level in the lower and middle degrees - this will be a sign of the patient’s disease. In the presence of allergic diseases in the picture, you can see the pillow-like protrusion of the mucous membrane. They may look like radiological syndromes (additional formations of medium or high intensity).
Complete dimming of the maxillary sinuses appears when a large amount of pathological fluid accumulates under the influence of pneumococcus and streptococcus.
An x-ray of the chin projection is carried out as follows: a person stands upright and leans his chin against a special stance. This position helps to clearly visualize the lower maxillary sinuses in the resulting image, and the upper ones are slightly darkened.
Image visualization
A description of the nasal sinus picture is performed by a treating specialist. Such a projection well visualizes the ethmoidal labyrinths near the nose, which are contaminated during the inflammatory process in the aqueous or maxillary sinuses:
- pyramids of the temporal bones;
- maxillary sinuses over the entire surface.
Compared with the nasal-chin projection, when taking a picture with chin-laying, you can get a clear picture of the lower half of the two sinuses, which are overlapped by the pyramids of the temporal bones.
The most difficult to visualize is the trellis maze. To consider such a pathology, a front shot is taken.
What can be considered in the resulting image?
An x-ray with sinusitis helps to consider the following structures:
- nasal cavity;
- gaps in air cavities;
- ophthalmic orbit;
- dimming area;
- frontal bone;
- trellis maze.
A CT scan of the sinuses of the nose helps pinpoint all abnormalities in the nasal cavities. Accumulation of a large amount of liquid can be clearly seen on the radiograph. When considering the structure of the trellis maze , special attention should be paid not so much to the severity of the lesion as to the clarity of the contours of each cell.
In an adult, the cells of the ethmoid labyrinth differ in the following features:
- small size;
- pronounced boundaries;
- average wall thickness;
- violation in the structure of intercostal septa;
- there is no definite structure of the labyrinth.
An x-ray helps to clearly visualize all the marked structures. A radiologist is involved in their description.
Features of nose radiography
During the procedure, the doctor receives an accurate picture of the nasal cavity with areas of blackout. Having seen a shadow in the projection of the accessory formations, the specialist concludes that the patient has sinusitis. In the presence of a cavity with liquid inside, we can assume the presence of a maxillary cyst.
X-ray examination is prescribed to diagnose puffiness and purulent formations in the paranasal sinuses. If after the procedure, the doctor finds pus in them, then he will prescribe a comprehensive treatment with antibacterial drugs. Throughout the course of taking the funds, an additional radiography is performed, which helps to determine the effect of the conducted therapies.
In the picture during sinusitis, you can notice a blackout in the upper horizontal level. At the initial stage of the development of the disease, an accumulation of a small amount of infiltrative fluid can be detected on the radiograph.
Determining the condition of the maxillary sinuses
To understand whether a person has fluid in the maxillary sinuses, one should remember how the water behaves in a glass. It always maintains a horizontal level of fluid tilt, even when the object changes position.
An x-ray of the nose and paranasal sinuses also shows whether a puncture is necessary to eliminate accumulated pus, which cannot be removed simply by taking medications.
It is possible to clearly determine the site of accumulation of purulent formations from a photograph of the nasal cavity and paranasal formations, carried out in negative. An x-ray image will help the doctor make a clear diagnosis and make a more rational treatment for a particular case. In the photograph of the sinuses of a healthy person there are no dark spots and additional formations.
Tumor formations and X-ray
A snapshot of the sinuses helps to determine the presence of solid structures in the organ: sarcoma, chondroma, or osteoma. Such neoplasms are most often detected accidentally when examining a picture. When analyzing the resulting image, the specialist pays special attention not only to the location of the eclipse and its size, but also to plus shadows.
In the classic picture you can see a clear level of accumulated fluid, which helps to make an accurate diagnosis of the disease. In some cases, clear shadows are visible, which are located mainly on the edges.
If expressed thickenings are present in the nasal mucosa, then this may indicate the presence of the following diseases in humans:
- catarrhal inflammatory process;
- allergy;
- chronic diseases;
- swelling after sinusitis.
Radiography of the adnexal nasal cavities does not exert a strong radiation load on the human body. It is considered the only correct way to early diagnosis of inflammatory processes in the sinuses.
The frequency of the procedure
Many patients wonder how often it is allowed to have an X-ray of the sinuses of the nasal cavity. After any study using gamma rays, information on the date of the radiation procedure is entered into the patient's outpatient card.
If the doctor finds that such studies are carried out too often, then he will prohibit the repeated procedure. There is one distinguishing feature: X-ray of the nose is distinguished by a very small dosage of radiation, therefore, such an event can be carried out as many times as is required to make an accurate diagnosis.
Interpretation of survey results
In the images obtained after the diagnosis, the specialist can identify inflammatory processes, tumor formations, foreign bodies, cysts, curvature of the nasal septum, anatomy in the location of the facial bones. Also, this procedure is often used by doctors to determine the patient's sinusitis - an inflammatory process that extends to the membrane of the paranasal sinuses.
After determining the formation in the upper jaw, the specialist diagnoses the patient with sinusitis, in some cases ethmoiditis, frontal sinusitis, or sphenoiditis. If a specialist can diagnose the disease on time, then there is a high chance of a favorable outcome and the prevention of complications (for example, inflammation of the lining of the brain). All formations of a pathological nature, which are indicated in the picture, experts add to a special medical report, with which after the patient is sent for an appointment with the appropriate doctor.
Digital x-rays are considered more informative and progressive. A picture of the sinuses is projected onto a computer, which helps to conduct a more detailed diagnosis of the organ. In addition, with this procedure, the specialist will be able to save the results in digital format and transmit them, if necessary, over the Internet.
The main disadvantage of this type of survey is high cost. No need to be afraid of radiation therapy and try to avoid x-ray examination. The picture will help the doctor choose an effective treatment for the identified disease.
Where is the procedure
Where to take a picture of the sinuses of the nose? Examination of the nose and its individual parts can be carried out in a public or private paid medical center in Moscow, St. Petersburg and other cities of the country. Also, a certain price is set for this procedure, which will depend on the particular clinic:
- X-ray of the sinuses (in one projection_ - about 1300 rubles;
- A picture of the sinuses (in several projections) - from 1700 rubles.
Radiography of the sinuses of the nose is important in the following cases: to determine foreign formations, tumors, cysts, bone damage, problems with tooth growth, deformation of the facial bones, in the absence of sinuses or their underdevelopment, as well as during the inflammatory process in the sinuses.
Where to take a picture of the sinuses of the nose? There are the following Moscow clinics where you can undergo such a diagnostic examination:
- Medical and dental clinic "SHIFA";
- Medical Center "Orange Clinics";
- Miracle Doctor at School 49;
- Medical center "Doctor is nearby" in Strogino;
- Clinic number 1 in Lublin.
Conducting in childhood
X-ray of the sinuses of the children under 7 years of age is carried out only if there is a special indication, as in some cases this procedure leads to slow bone growth and problems with osteogenesis.
Only a doctor can prescribe such a procedure. It should be noted that suspicion of adenoiditis or sinusitis is not included in the list of indications for such a procedure at a young age.
For children over the age of 7 years, the procedure is carried out without much concern. But if it is possible to replace it with ultrasound diagnostics or magnetic resonance imaging, then the last two procedures are chosen.
If, due to his age or due to the presence of any diseases, the child cannot independently fix his head in one position, then he is helped by the parent, who is previously given a special apron with lead inserts.