How Much Radiation with CT Scans of the Sinus or Neck?

Patients are often too quick to want CT scans to further evaluate their symptoms without appreciating the downsides of such exams. For ENTs, that mainly involves scans of either the Sinus or Neck. Using the website RayRisk.com , one can easily figure out how much radiation exposure occurs with not just CT scans, but all other radiological scans as well. To use as a baseline, take a regular Chest X-ray which exposes a person to 0.10 mSv of radiation. A CT Sinus scan requires ~0.7 mSv or ra…

11/29/2018 0

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Metal Detector Instead of X-rays for Swallowed Coins and Other Metallic Objects

Handheld Metal Detector Due to a recent rash of consults of patients swallowing coins and other foreign bodies mainly in kids but adults too, it occurred to me that a handheld metal detector similar to one that is used in airport security screening can quickly and easily determine whether a metal object is present within the body as well as where. This quick screening can serve three purposes... 1) X-rays can be avoided along with its radiation exposure. Typically, a neck, chest, and …

3/07/2017 0

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Pediatric Sinus Development and Sinusitis

There is a tendency for any type of nasal drainage to be attributed to " sinusitis " in children. Especially in young children, "sinusitis" is a relatively rare cause for nasal drainage and congestion which is actually more commonly due to viruses and enlarged adenoids . The reason why sinuses play a relatively minor role in nasal drainage and congestion is because sinuses are not fully developed in children. It probably is not until around the age of 7 years old th…

11/02/2013 0

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How Much Radiation Exposure Occurs with a CT Scan? X-ray? Sunlight?

A common concern now is how much radiation exposure occurs with common radiological testing such as x-rays and CT scans, especially given the small increased risk of cancer with accumulated exposure over years. Of note, ultrasounds and MRI scans do not emit radiation. MRI scans use magnets while ultrasounds use sound waves in order to obtain imaging information. So, here's a chart comparing such tests with common environmental radiation exposure such as sunlight. Information taken fro…

2/13/2013 0

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Dental X-rays Linked to Brain Tumors

In a study spanning over decades, researchers have found an association between dental x-rays and increased risk of a non-malignant type of brain tumor called meningioma. Of the four types of dental x-rays, only the full-mouth series was associated with this increased risk. More specifically, the risk was elevated with the aggregate number of full-mouth series in 10-year periods from approximately 15–40 years before diagnosis, with significant elevations in the 10-year periods beginning 2…

4/10/2012 1

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Avoidable Pediatric Radiation Exposure

Children and teens often get diagnostic tests that expose them to radiation, increasing the risk of cancer later in life. Over just a 3 year span, 42.5% of kids got some form of ionizing radiation from a diagnostic medical procedure whether it be a chest x-ray, CT scan, dental scan, etc. Click here to calculate the cumulative risk of cancer with each type of test. It also estimated that 1/3 of CT scans are unnecessary and that by limiting CT scans to when it is truly needed would reduce t…

1/03/2011 0

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Are Doctors Required to Obtain Patient Permission For Posting Non-Identifiable X-Rays, CT Scans, Etc Online?

The blunt answer is no... as long as there is no way the patient can be identified by looking at the image. (in other words, anonymous). Dr. Ves Dimov at CasesBlog has written a very good article regarding this very question and the guidelines used to determine whether patient permission is required or not. Read his blog article here .

11/13/2010 0

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Large Metal Hook In Person's Head (No Kidding)

An ENT colleague brought this x-ray to my attention. Apparently, there was an accident during which a large hook got embedded in this patient's head.

11/09/2010 0

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New Video Produced on How/What a Normal Swallow Looks Like

Our office has produced a new video on what/how a normal swallow looks like from BOTH an x-ray as well as endoscopic view. In order to best illustrate the swallowing mechanism, a modified barium swallow test is shown. The video has been uploaded to our YouTube channel and can be watched here . Watch the video below as well as the slow motion action of what the epiglottis does from the inside during a swallow!

10/23/2010 0

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Sinus X-Rays Are Worthless

Oftentimes, I see patients come in with sinus x-rays with this or that finding. What many patients as well as physicians may not realize is that sinus x-rays are notoriously unreliable in determining whether sinus infection is present or not. Indeed, I NEVER order a sinus x-ray. Just how unreliable are sinus x-rays? In adults, it may be literally a flip of the coin whether the sinus x-ray is providing a correct diagnosis compared with the gold standard  CT sinus . Depending on what study…

10/04/2010 3

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Website That Calculates Your Cancer Risk From Radiological Tests

In the last few weeks, there's been multiple media reports on the increased risk of cancer with common radiological tests due to radiation exposure, however minimal it may be. Due to this concern, a website called " X-Ray Risk.com " was developed that calculates your increased cancer risk based on type of test, age, and gender. For example, a CT Neck (a common CT test ordered by ENTs) on a 35 year-old male increases cancer risk by 0.046%. A chest x-ray? Only 0.001%. Check …

12/18/2009 0

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Cool X-Ray Video of What Happens Anatomically During Speech

Voice is sound production. Speech is what ultimately comes out the mouth after the sound is modified by the tight coordination among the throat muscles, palate, tongue, lips, teeth, etc. An example of a voice problem is hoarseness . A speech problem would be stuttering, or nasal-sounding words , or mumbling. Speech researcher Christine Ericsdotter precisely captured the intricate movements of the tongue, lips, pharynx and jaw during speech using a rapid-fire X-ray. Check out the video she…

11/19/2009 0

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What To Do With a Broken Nose?

The only reason to see a physician immediately after an injury to the nose is to assess whether a septal hematoma has formed. The septum is a wall that divides the right nasal cavity from the left. If a hematoma has developed (which is VERY rare), it needs to be drained in an approach similar to doing a deviated septum repair . Regarding the "broken" nose itself... I personally think getting an X-ray to look for an isolated broken nose is a waste of time and money. Perhaps th…

6/10/2009 0

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