Friday, February, 10, 2012

Facial trauma

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Maxillofacial injury; Midface trauma; Facial injury; LeFort injuries


Symptoms
  • Changes in sensation and feeling over the face
  • Deformed or uneven face or facial bones
  • Difficulty breathing through the nose due to swelling and bleeding
  • Double vision
  • Missing teeth
  • Swelling around the eyes that may cause vision problems

Signs and tests

The doctor will perform a physical exam, which may show:

  • Bleeding from the nose, eyes, or mouth, or nasal blockage
  • Breaks in the skin (lacerations)
  • Bruising around the eyes or widening of the distance between the eyes, which may mean injury to the bones between the eye sockets

The following may suggest bone fractures:

  • Abnormal sensations on the cheek and irregularities that can be felt
  • An upper jaw that moves when the head is still

A CT scan of the head may be done.


Review Date: 08/06/2009
Reviewed By: Alan Lipkin, MD, Otolargyngologist, private practice, Denver, CO. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)