Skull PA
Position the Patient
- Prone or upright
- Head straight, no rotation or tilt
- (MSP perpendicular)
- Forehead and nose firmly against IR (OML perpendicular)
- Center head to IR
Words That Work
“Stand facing the board and rest your forehead and nose gently against it. Keep your head straight—like looking directly ahead—without turning or tilting. I’ll adjust your chin slightly so both sides of your skull line up evenly. Close your mouth, hold still, and don’t move.”
PA skull positioning
Set Up the Shot
- Center here
- Central ray
- Exit at nasion
- Include this in the field
- Collimation
- Entire skull
- Set the distance
- SID
- 40"
- Check the technique
- Technique
- 75-85 kVp
- Follow facility protocols
Common Pitfalls
- •Rotation or tilt (unequal orbital rim distances to skull margins)
- •Petrous ridges not filling the orbits
- •Entire cranium not included
Evaluate the Image
What should be visible?
- Entire cranium
- Frontal bone and frontal sinuses
- Petrous ridges filling the orbits
Does the image pass?
- ✓Entire cranium included
- ✓No rotation or tilt (equal distance from lateral orbital rims to skull margins)
- ✓Petrous ridges filling the orbits
- ✓Sharp bony detail