Radiographic detection of defects of the nasal boundaries

The sensitivity of conventional radiography for lesions of the cribriform p late, naso-orbital wall, lateral nasal mall and hard palate was investigate d in 13 canine cadaver heads by creating measured defects in these structur es. The location of the perforations were marked with a thin copper wire an d the radiographic appearance of the defects was evaluated retrospectively by a single reviewer. Despite demarcation cribriform plate destruction of 2 mm could not be detected. Defects of 3 mm were detected in only 2 heads, 4 mm defects in 1 further head, an oblong 4 x 10 mm defect in 7 heads and in the remaining 3 heads only a 10 x 10 nun defect became visible as such. Th e naso-orbital wall had to be destroyed in its whole vertical length for de tection of a defect in ventrodorsal or dorsoventral views, Therefore conven tional radiography is of low diagnostic value for these lesions, Defects of 2 mm in the lateral nasal wall and the hard palate could be detected confi dently in all heads indicating high sensitivity of conventional radiography . Soft tissue opacification did not alter the detectability of any nasal bo rder structure lesion.