The relationship between mastoid pneumatization and the position of the sigmoid sinus.
Using high-resolution computed tomography, we measured the cross-sectional area of mastoid air cells and the shortest distance between the external auditory canal and the anterior edge of the sigmoid sinus (DIST), and then compared the right-left difference in 70 patients with unilateral chronic otitis media and 23 cases without middle ear disease. DIST was significantly short where there was poor mastoid pneumatization (P < 0.0001), regardless of whether it was the right or left ear. Furthermore, on the well-pneumatized temporal bone, the increase in size of the cross-sectional area was closely correlated with the increase in DIST (r = 0.495). We suggest that the relative position of the external auditory canal and the sigmoid sinus is affected by middle ear inflammations in childhood.
Ichijo
H
H
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Japan.
Hosokawa
M
M
Shinkawa
H
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004424:Ear Canal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008416:Mastoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010035:Otitis Media, Suppurative / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed