[Traumatology of the midface--diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines for the practicing ENT physician from the viewpoint of the radiologist].

Local and combined facial fractures are usually correctly diagnosed by conventional plain films in conjunction with the clinical picture. If the image quality is reduced due to soft tissue swelling of problems in positioning a multiply injured patient, conventional tomography or computed tomography (CT) are indicated. The advantages of CT are the detailed imaging of soft tissue and bone structures; in patients with skull trauma, CT of the facial bones can be combined with cranial computed tomography without re-positioning the patient. CT proved to be the most accurate method for the evaluation of blow-out-fractures of the orbit. The radiation dose is less and the investigation time is shorter compared to conventional tomography in the demonstration of facial fractures. Conventional tomography is indicated when artefacts caused by dental fillings reduce the image quality of CT.