title: Three-dimensional reconstruction based on images from spiral high-resolution computed tomography of the temporal bone: anatomy and clinical application.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of a three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of computed tomography (CT) images in determining the anatomy and topographic relationship between various important structures. Using 40 ears from 20 patients with various otological diseases, a 3D reconstruction based on the image data from spiral high-resolution CT was performed by segmentation, volume-rendering and surface-rendering algorithms on a personal computer. The 3D display of the middle and inner ear structures was demonstrated in detail. Computer-assisted measurements, many of which could not be easily measured in vivo, of the reconstructed structures provided accurate anatomic details that improved the surgeon's understanding of spatial relationships. A 3D reconstruction of temporal bone CT might be useful for education and increasing understanding of the anatomical structures of the temporal bone. However, it will be necessary to confirm the correlation between the 3D reconstructed images and histological sections through a validation study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Catholic University of Korea, College of Medicine, Seoul.
authors.forename: Beom-Cho
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Jun
authors.forename: Sun-Wha
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Ju-Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Chan-Soon
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Dong-Hee
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ki-Hong
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Sang-Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Yeo
mesh_terms: D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D007758:Ear, Inner; D004432:Ear, Middle; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed / Q000379:methods