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Computed Tomography (CT) Scan of the Head and Face - Why It Is Done
About this test
- Test Overview
-
Health Tools
- Why It Is Done
- How To Prepare
- How It Is Done
- How It Feels
- Risks
- Results
- What Affects the Test
- What To Think About
- References
- Credits
A CT scan of the head is done to:
- Find the cause of symptoms, such as confusion, paralysis, numbness, vision problems, vertigo, or headaches, that might mean a brain injury, a brain tumor, a ruptured aneurysm, or bleeding inside the head.
- Look for problems of the middle ear bones and the auditory nerve.
- Help plan for surgery.
- Find damage caused by a stroke and to help find the best treatment for the cause of a stroke.
- Find the cause of a loss of consciousness or a changing level of consciousness.
- Check on the success of treatment or surgery for a brain tumor.
- Provide guidance for a brain biopsy.
CT scans of the eyes, facial area, and sinuses may be done to:
- Look for problems of the eyes and the optic nerve. The test may find fractures of the bones around the eyes or foreign objects in the eye.
- Look for problems or
diseases of the air-filled cavities in the bones around the nose (sinuses
). - Look for problems with the bones and joints of the jaw, face, and skull, such as temporomandibular disorder or Paget's disease.
- Find broken bones (fractures). See a
CT scan of a cheekbone fracture .
- Look for foreign objects in the head and face.
- Plan for surgery to rebuild parts of the face that were damaged.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: May 21, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Howard Schaff, MD - Diagnostic Radiology | |
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