eMedicine Specialties > Sports Medicine > Face and Head

Facial Soft Tissue Injuries: Differential Diagnoses & Workup

Author: Kyle D Parish, MD, Private Practice, Family Medicine and Sports Medicine
Coauthor(s): Valerie E Cothran, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Director of Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Assistant Team Physician, University of Maryland
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Jul 10, 2008

Differential Diagnoses

Contusions
Facial Fractures
Nasal Fracture

Workup

Imaging Studies

Facial injuries in which there is significant bony tenderness or obvious deformity warrant imaging to evaluate for fractures. Start with plain films of the face, including Water, Caldwell, and lateral views. Panoramic x-ray images may also be of benefit. These images may also be helpful in the evaluation of a possible foreign body presence. If the clinical suspicion is high or plain films are inconclusive, computed tomography (CT) scans can be useful. If necessary, 3-dimensional (3-D) reconstructions can be made for a more detailed analysis.

Related Medscape topics:
Resource Center Trauma 
Specialty Site Orthopaedics
Specialty Site Radiology

More on Facial Soft Tissue Injuries

Overview: Facial Soft Tissue Injuries
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Facial Soft Tissue Injuries
Treatment & Medication: Facial Soft Tissue Injuries
Follow-up: Facial Soft Tissue Injuries
Multimedia: Facial Soft Tissue Injuries
References
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References

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Further Reading

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Keywords

facial soft-tissue injuries, facial trauma, facial injury, facial fracture, face injury, cauliflower ear, subperichondrial hematoma, sports-related soft-tissue injury, facial laceration, facial abrasion, broken nose, epistaxis, facemask, face mask, maxillofacial trauma, maxillofacial injury, lip laceration, lip injury, eyelid injury, scalp injury, tongue injury, tongue laceration, corneal abrasion

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Kyle D Parish, MD, Private Practice, Family Medicine and Sports Medicine
Kyle D Parish, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Sports Medicine, and American Medical Society for Sports Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Valerie E Cothran, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Director of Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Assistant Team Physician, University of Maryland
Valerie E Cothran, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Sports Medicine, and American Medical Society for Sports Medicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Gerard A Malanga, MD, Founder and Director, New Jersey Sports Medicine Institute; Director of Pain Management, Overlook Hospital; Director of Sports Medicine, Sports Medicine Fellowship Director, Mountainside Hospital; Clinical Chief, Rehabilitation Medicine and Electrodiagnosis, St Michael's Medical Center; Medical Director, Consultant, Horizon Healthcare Worker's Compensation Services, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Worker's Compensation
Gerard A Malanga, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, American College of Sports Medicine, North American Spine Society, and Physiatric Association of Spine, Sports and Occupational Rehabilitation
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Russell D White, MD, Professor of Medicine, Department of Community and Family Medicine, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Truman Medical Center Lakewood
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Jon B Whitehurst, MD, Clinical Instructor of Surgery, University of Illinois College of Medicine; Partner and Executive Board Member, Rockford Orthopedic Associates; Orthopedic Chairman, Rockford Memorial Hospital
Jon B Whitehurst, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, and Arthroscopy Association of North America
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Craig C Young, MD, Professor, Departments of Orthopedic Surgery and Community and Family Medicine, Medical Director of Sports Medicine, Sports Medicine Fellowship Director, Medical College of Wisconsin
Craig C Young, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Sports Medicine, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, Phi Beta Kappa, and Wilderness Medical Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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