title: CT-Scan sheep and human inner ear morphometric comparison.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies about the use of sheep in surgical training and experimental otologic surgery are rare. This study intends to contribute to the knowledge on this field.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study sheep inner ear structures using computerized tomography and serial cross-sections to collect more accurate morphometric data to compare sheep and human ears.
  
  
  METHODS
  This descriptive study compared the inner structures of sheep and human ears. Measurements were made using computerized tomography, and they were stored in a DICOM compact disc for later analysis and manipulation, with a program used for medical image analysis (Osíris 4.16).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean measures for sheep and human ears were found to be similar in this morphological study. Most structures (10 out of 15) maintained the 2/3 ratio of sheep to human ear.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this morphometric study of sheep ear are an important contribution to the development of an animal model to be used for surgical training and experimental otologic surgeries.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Rio Grande, Brazil.
authors.forename: Valter Ayres
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Seibel
authors.forename: Luiz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lavinsky
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Irion
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D023421:Models, Animal; D034561:Sheep, Domestic / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed