title: Three-dimensional CT-imaging of the ossicular chain.
abstract: In eight patients, with a known air-conduction hearing loss, three-dimensional images of the ossicular chain were constructed based on heavily overlapping high resolution CT-slices, obtained from a spiral CT data set. High quality three-dimensional images could be obtained in all eight patients. Supplementary information was derived from these three-dimensional images in three patients; in one, this supplementary information had therapeutic importance. The slight image quality loss in spiral-CT of the temporal bone, compared with conventional CT, is in some cases largely compensated by the possibility of rendering high quality secondary reconstructions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University Hospitals, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hermans
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feenstra
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marchal
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Baert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D004429:Ear Ossicles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006314:Hearing Loss, Conductive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007188:Incus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008307:Malleus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009998:Ossicular Prosthesis; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D013201:Stapes Surgery; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*