Health Encyclopedia

Skull x-ray

Definition

A skull x-ray is a picture of the bones surrounding the brain, including the facial bones, the nose, and the sinuses.

Alternative Names

X-ray - head; X-ray - skull; Skull radiography; Head x-ray

How the test is performed

The test is performed in a hospital radiology department or in the health care provider’s office by an x-ray technician. You will be asked to lie on the x-ray table or sit in a chair. Your head may be placed in a number of positions.

How to prepare for the test

Inform the health care provider if you are pregnant. Remove all jewelry.

How the test will feel

Generally, there is little or no discomfort during an x-ray. If there is a head injury, positioning the head may be uncomfortable.

Why the test is performed

This test may be performed when there has been trauma and/or injury to the skull or when symptoms indicate a disorder involving structural abnormalities may be present inside the skull (such as tumors or bleeding). The x-ray is also used to evaluate an unusually shaped child's head.

What abnormal results mean

A skull x-ray may show fractures, tumors, erosion or decalcification of the bone, or shifts in the soft tissues inside the skull. The x-ray may detect increased intracranial pressure, and congenital (existing at birth) anomalies (unusual structure).

Additional conditions under which the test may be performed include the following:

What the risks are

There is low radiation exposure. X-rays are monitored and regulated to provide the minimum amount of radiation exposure needed to produce the image. Most experts feel that the risk is low compared with the benefits. Pregnant women and children are more sensitive to the risks associated with x-rays.

Special considerations

A CT scan of the head is often preferable to a skull x-ray to evaluate head injuries.

Review Date:1/24/2007
Reviewed By:Stuart Bentley-Hibbert, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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