title: Incidental petrous apex findings on magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: We performed a retrospective chart review to categorize a group of petrous apex findings that were noted incidentally on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 88 patients. These patients were among those who had been seen at a tertiary care center between July 1988 and July 1998. These incidental findings, which were unrelated to the presenting clinical manifestations, included asymmetric fatty bone marrow (n = 41), inflammation (19), cholesterol granulomas (14), cholesteatomas (9), and neoplasms (5). Followup imaging and clinical surveillance of these patients has not demonstrated any significant change in the incidentally detected lesions. In all cases, the incidental MRI findings represented benign pathology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Loyola Center for Cranial Base Surgery, Loyola University Medical Center, 2160 South First Ave., Maywood, IL 60153, USA. jleonet@luc.edu
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Leonetti
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shownkeen
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Marzo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D001855:Bone Marrow Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D002781:Cholesteatoma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000209:etiology; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006099:Granuloma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010019:Osteomyelitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D010579:Petrous Bone; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012888:Skull Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000209:etiology; D014313:Trismus / Q000209:etiology