Nasal Polyps : Tests

Examining the nose shows a grayish grape-like mass in the nasal cavity.

A polyp is any overgrowth of tissue from a surface. Polyps come in all shapes-round, droplet, and irregular being the most common.

A cranial CT scan is computed tomography of the head, including the skull, brain, orbits (eye sockets), and sinuses.

During a physical examination, a health care provider studies a patient's body to determine the presence or absence of physical problems. A typical physical examination includes: Inspection (looking at the body; Palpation (feeling the body with hands; Auscultation (listening to sounds; Percussion (producing sounds.

An MRI of the head is a noninvasive procedure that uses powerful magnets and radio waves to construct clear, detailed pictures of brain tissues. Conventional radiography and computed tomographic (CT) imaging use potentially harmful radiation (x-rays) that passes through a patient to generate images. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is based on the magnetic properties of atoms, and there is no exposure to the same type of radiation used in x-rays and CT scans. A powerful magnet generates a magnetic field roughly 10,000 times stronger than the Earth's. A very small percentage of hydrogen atoms within the body will align with this field. Radio wave pulses are broadcast towards the aligned hydrogen atoms in tissues of interest, returning a signal of their own. The slight differences of those signals from different tissues enables MRI to tell the difference between various organs, and potentially, provide contrast between benign and malignant tissue. Any imaging angle, or "slice", can be projected, and then stored in a computer or printed on film. MRI can easily be performed through clothing and bones. However, certain types of metal in or around the area of interest can cause significant errors in the reconstructed images. These errors are called artifacts.

Detailed information on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including information on how the procedure is performed

An endoscope is a narrow flexible tube which contains an optical device like a telescope or magnifying lens with a bright light. In sinus endoscopy, the endoscope is inserted into the nose, and the interior of the nasal passages, sinuses, and throat is examined.

Sinus endoscopy is a procedure used to examine, diagnose, and treat disorders of the nose, sinuses, or throat. During sinus endoscopy, an endoscope- a narrow, flexible tube fitted with a fiber-optic device such as a telescope or magnifying lens- is inserted into the nose, the interior of the nasal passages, sinuses, and throat.

A sinus x-ray is a picture of the air-filled cavities in the front of the skull.