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Skull x-ray

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Definition:

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

See also: Sinus x-ray

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.

• 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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