Abstract

ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND:
Although a physical examination is regarded as the gold standard for diagnosis of nasal bone fracture, adequate imaging of a nasal fracture is often required because of the legal consequences that can result from the injury's cause.
OBJECTIVE:
The aim of the present study is to compare the validity of ultrasonography versus plain lateral X-ray view of nasal bone in diagnosing different classes of nasal bone fracture.
METHODS:
This randomized clinical trial study included 117 patients presented with trauma to nose who consulted Otolaryngology Department at Aljamhory Teaching Hospital, Mosul, Iraq for the period from August 2008 to May 2009.
The results of plain lateral X-ray view and ultrasonography of the nasal bone were compared with the clinical findings after oedema has subsided completely which is the gold standard for evaluating the results.Moreover, accuracy rate, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive values of both plain lateral X-ray view and ultrasonography were calculated.
RESULTS:
The accuracy rate, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive values of plain lateral X-ray view in diagnosing nasal bone fracture were 76.6%, 81.8%, 62.5% ,85.7% and 55.5% respectively. Moreover, the accuracy rate, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive values of utrasonography in diagnosing nasal bone fracture were 96.6%, 97.9%, 90.9% ,97.9% and 90.9% respectively.
CONCLUSION:
The use of ultrasounography in the diagnosis of different classes of nasal bone fracture was found to be superior to plain lateral X-ray view in accuracy rate, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive and negative predictive values.