Direct sagittal computed tomography scanning of the skull and its contents.

An accessory patient table has been built for use with the wide-aperture Varian CT scanner, which makes it possible to position patients for direct (positional) sagittal CT scans of the head. No extra computer manipulation is required to produce these sagittal images. Density and spatial resolution are similar to those obtained in the axial plane. Practical applications to date include improving visualization of orbital lesions and soft tissue masses involving the face, and aiding surgical and radiotherapy treatment planning for intracranial lesions.