Nasopharyngeal cavity narrowing associated with posterior maxilla and pterygoid plate fracture: report of three cases.

The CT appearances of three cases with severe nasopharyngeal cavity narrowing are described. In all cases the facial trauma was due to a motor vehicle accident. These cases demonstrate that posterior maxilla and pterygoid plate fractures can cause significant nasopharyngeal soft tissues swelling, most likely due to haemorrhage and/or oedema. Severe nasopharyngeal cavity narrowing could cause difficulty in elective nasogastric tube and endotracheal tube intubation via the nasopharyngeal route.