Journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery : official journal of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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J. Oral Maxillofac. Surg. · Apr 2009
Influence of different types of guns, projectiles, and propellants on patterns of injury to the viscerocranium.
Gunshot injuries to the oral and craniomaxillofacial region vary with the type of gun used. Computed tomography (CT) is the standard diagnostic tool for assessing tissue damage in patients with gunshot injuries. Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is a new imaging technique that has recently become available for clinical diagnosis. The objective of this study was to characterize injury patterns with a focus on gun types and identify the imaging modality that is best suited to assessing injuries caused by different gun types. ⋯ Every gun/projectile combination is associated with a typical pattern of injury. Even in the absence of the offending projectile, it is thus possible to narrow down the likely gun and/or projectile. In the diagnostic imaging of injuries caused by high-density projectiles, CBCT is more suitable than CT.