Lilly Boney1, Manasa Pandith2
BACKGROUND
The tympanic cavity is susceptible to infection by viruses and bacteria through the
Eustachian tube, thereby making ear pathologies and particularly middle ear
inflammatory conditions a frequent reason to consult an otorhinolaryngologist.
With the advent of High-Resolution Computed Tomography, diagnosis of the
middle ear anatomy, pathology and its complications if any, could be made out
with better precision by providing a direct visual window by providing minute
structural details. The aim of the study was to assess temporal bone pathologies
that could be evaluated by HRCT study of the temporal bone in a rural hospital
based setup and correlate if possible with surgical/histopathological findings.
METHODS
The study was a retrospective study done in M.V.J Medical College and Research
Hospital, Bangalore amongst 50 patients from February 2020 to January 2021 who
underwent HRCT of the temporal bone and relevant statistics were drawn from
these cases. After local examination, clinical evaluation and consent, CT scan was
performed. Follow-up of patients was done for confirmation with operative and/or
histopathological findings whenever possible. All the data obtained were recorded
in a tabulated form and analysed on MS Excel.
RESULTS
Amongst 50 patients, infective aetiology was found to be the most common cause,
of which chronic otomastoiditis was the most common, followed by chronic
Cholesteatoma, otitis media, chronic mastoiditis, and otitis externa. Amongst the
congenital aetiology, we had 1 case each of osteoma, facial nerve involvement,
microtia and inner ear dysplasia. Amongst the traumatic cases, longitudinal type
of fracture was the most common type, followed by transverse and mixed fractures
with hemotympanum being the most common HRCT finding.
CONCLUSIONS
HRCT of the temporal bone helps in accurate assessment of infective, congenital,
traumatic and neoplastic aetiologies and helps the otologist understand the
disease's extent and aid in surgery.
