2216: Sonography in the diagnosis of nasal bone fractures in children

Abstract

Objectives: To describe the sonographic findings of nasal bone fractures and evaluate the diagnostic value of US of nasal bone fractures in children.Methods: Twenty-three children with sustained nasal trauma underwent radiography (lateral view of the nose and Waters view), US and CT. The US findings were retrospectively reviewed and compared with plain radiographs and CT, which were used as gold standard.Results: Sonographic findings of nasal bone fractures were irregularity (n = 4), discontinuity (n = 14), displacement with discontinuity (n = 16) of the thin smooth echogenic line formed by ventral cortex of the nasal bone. Thirty four nasal bone fractures in 23 patients were identified by CT and US but only 17 by plain radiographs. US and CT demonstrated unilateral involvement of nasal bone fracture in ten bones and bilateral involvement in 12, while plain radiograph revealed unilateral involvement in seven and bilateral involvement in five.Conclusions: The US features of nasal bone fractures were similar to those of CT in detecting the location and degree of depression or displacement of nasal bone fractures. We believe that US is a very useful for the evaluation of such fractures, especially in children with equivocal abnormalities on plain radiographs. Objectives: To describe the sonographic findings of nasal bone fractures and evaluate the diagnostic value of US of nasal bone fractures in children. Methods: Twenty-three children with sustained nasal trauma underwent radiography (lateral view of the nose and Waters view), US and CT. The US findings were retrospectively reviewed and compared with plain radiographs and CT, which were used as gold standard. Results: Sonographic findings of nasal bone fractures were irregularity (n = 4), discontinuity (n = 14), displacement with discontinuity (n = 16) of the thin smooth echogenic line formed by ventral cortex of the nasal bone. Thirty four nasal bone fractures in 23 patients were identified by CT and US but only 17 by plain radiographs. US and CT demonstrated unilateral involvement of nasal bone fracture in ten bones and bilateral involvement in 12, while plain radiograph revealed unilateral involvement in seven and bilateral involvement in five. Conclusions: The US features of nasal bone fractures were similar to those of CT in detecting the location and degree of depression or displacement of nasal bone fractures. We believe that US is a very useful for the evaluation of such fractures, especially in children with equivocal abnormalities on plain radiographs.