Keywords:
Anatomy, CT, Abscess delineation, Abscess
Authors:
A. mezghani1, O. Ghdes2, N. Achour2, H. Hriz2, N. Mnif2; 1Sfax/TN, 2TUNIS/TN
DOI:
10.26044/ecr2019/C-3646
Methods and materials
Between January 2017 to February 2018,
32 patients with strong clinical evidence of cervicofacial cellulitis were included in this retrospective study.
v CT protocol
All patients underwent enhanced computed tomography CT.
General Surveys typically cover the base of the skull to the upper mediastinum.
It is performed after injection with multiplanar reformats. There is no benefit of routine pre-contrast CT especially in regard to the child patients.
Double tissue and vascular impregnation allows an exhaustive assessment of the lesions and their complications.
It is obtained by injection of two-thirds of the dose of iodinated contrast medium,
followed by a pause of 60 seconds and a second injection of the remaining third before the acquisition.
The volume of contrast medium is based on the weight of the patient (1ml/Kg) and the rate of the injection is generally 3ml/s.
Volume acquisition and multiplanar reconstructions allow a precise assessment of the structures involved and determination of caudal extent.
v The CT exam is interpreted systematically by answering the following questions:
- Localization of the disease: facial versus cervicofacial,
superficial versus extension in the deep space,
mediastinal or intracranial extension
- Description: fat densification vs abscess collection
- Etiology: dental,
sinus ,
traumatic,
salivary,
indeterminate
- Complications: an impact on the airways,
venous thrombosis,
osteitis ,periosteal abscess ,exophthalmos ,
empyema,
cerebral abscess…