Morphological analysis of the vestibular aqueduct by computerized tomography images.
OBJECTIVE
In the last two decades, advances in the computerized tomography (CT) field revise the internal and medium ear evaluation. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze the morphology and morphometric aspects of the vestibular aqueduct on the basis of computerized tomography images (CTI).


METHODS
Computerized tomography images of vestibular aqueducts were acquired from patients (n=110) with an age range of 1-92 years. Thereafter, from the vestibular aqueducts images a morphometric analysis was performed. Through a computerized image processing system, the vestibular aqueduct measurements comprised of its area, external opening, length and the distance from the vestibular aqueduct to the internal acoustic meatus.


RESULTS
The morphology of the vestibular aqueduct may be funnel-shaped, filiform or tubular and the respective proportions were found to be at 44%, 33% and 22% in children and 21.7%, 53.3% and 25% in adults. The morphometric data showed to be of 4.86 mm(2) of area, 2.24 mm of the external opening, 4.73 mm of length and 11.88 mm of the distance from the vestibular aqueduct to the internal acoustic meatus, in children, and in adults it was of 4.93 mm(2), 2.09 mm, 4.44 mm, and 11.35 mm, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Computerized tomography showed that the vestibular aqueduct presents high morphological variability. The morphometric analysis showed that the differences found between groups of children and adults or between groups of both genders were not statistically significant.
Marques
Sergio Ricardo
SR
Morphology and Genetics Department, São Paulo Federal University-Paulista Medical School, Disciplina de Anatomia Descritiva e Topográfica, São Paulo, Brazil. sergioanat.morf@epm.br
Smith
Ricardo Luiz
RL
Isotani
Sadao
S
Alonso
Luís Garcia
LG
Anadão
Carlos Augusto
CA
Prates
José Carlos
JC
Lederman
Henrique Manoel
HM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000886:Anthropometry / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014723:Vestibular Aqueduct / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*