[Useful imaging in maxillofacial surgery. Part II: practical applications].

Various pathologic patterns are discussed with advice on appropriate radiographic imaging. The choice of the most suitable modality for each condition depends on the need to obtain the most accurate results. Panoramic radiography remains a basic and low cost method.

[Orbital blow-out fractures].

Blow-out fractures, lateral fractures of the face, involve only the inferior and sometimes the medial wall of the orbit. Clinical diagnosis is not always obvious, and CT is helpful to confirm diagnosis and also detect some failures of surgical treatment: improper position or size of the graft. MRI is valuable to evaluate post-surgical infections.

[What's useful in maxillo-facial surgery imaging: advantages and disavantages of examination modalities (first part)].

Widespread use of multislice volumic CT and rapid 3D reconstructions as well as MR sequences allowing high-resolution tissue characterization have greatly improved the efficiency of face and neck imaging. Panoramic radiography nevertheless remains highly contributive. Sonography has now replaced the standard sialography for the diagnosis of salivary lithiasis.

[Imaging of facial changes in hyperparathyroidism].

Facial changes in hyperparathyroidism, rarely described, are better depicted at CT imaging. This article reviews the maxillo-mandibular, ocular and temporo-mandibular findings associated with the different types of hyperparathyroidism.

[Imaging of mandibular malformations and deformities].

Mandibular deformities and malformations are quite various. They are mostly identified by clinical examination, but imaging is very useful for surgical planning. CT imaging is essential to evaluate patients with dystrophies such as fibrous dysplasia, neurofibromatosis, Gorlin syndrome and cherubism.