Mono- and multislice computed tomography of the orbita injury

PURPOSE: To evaluate the reliability of the mono- (SCT) and multisliced CT (MSCT) imaging and their post-processing reconstructions in the cases of orbital trauma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: the spiral monoslice (n=20) and spiral multisliced (n=5) CT studies were performed in patients suffered from orbits' injuries. CT data were reconstructed in the 2D and 3D mode. The CT original images and the 2D and 3D reconstructions were evaluated according to the quality of visualization of a pathological lesions. Surgery was the method of reference. RESULTS: The reconstructed 3D images in 16 patients examined in SCT mode and in 5 patients examined in MSCT mode allowed to recognize properly the fracture. In the 13 patients SCT and in the 3 ones MSCT revealed the bone fragments and orbital soft tissues prolapse towards maxilla sinus; including the lower rectus muscle in 6 cases. In 1 patient evaluation of the 3D model allowed to exclude communication with intracranial space. The surgery correlated well with the source images and 2D/3D SCT and MSCT models. The diagnostic quality of the raw SCT vs MSCT images was evaluated as equal, but MSCT proved to be the better source for the post processing reconstruction, because of higher resolution and better smoothing. CONCLUSIONS: - Spiral CT 2D and 3D reconstructed images, especially generated from the MSCT, more clearly than the source data depict anatomical spatial relationships; - 2D/3D reconstructions revealed the position, course and displacement of a fractured fragments; thus it supports the surgery.