Radiography of the skull and facial bones

In recent years, the previous tendency to use eponyms to describe the radiographic positions used in skull radiography has fallen into disrepute. Some textbooks of radiology, however, still use the eponyms. The student radiographer should be aware that these terms are used regularly but that they are not the preferred terminology. The technologist will encounter eponymic designations in day-to-day practice, and these have been used in this text primarily as short forms and as a matter of convenience. When the path of the x-ray beam is described, that path will be referred to as a projection; when an eponym is used or when the examination in question fails to specify the path of the x-ray beam, the term view will be employed. The following sections outline some important anatomical considerations and the specific radiographic views which will enable the radiographer to achieve optimum positioning of examinations of the skull and facial bones