title: [Radiological diagnostic of the non-pathological conditions of the petrous apex].
abstract: Many patients with otological symptoms are remitted to the otolaryngology outpatient clinics every day. These patients commonly undergo imaging studies, generally magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In some cases, a positive unilateral result is found in the form of a potentially pathological signal that can be observed in the petrous apex region. We present the cases of 6 patients (aged between 26 and 62 years) with asymmetric bone marrow distribution or trapped mucous fluid secretions in the petrous apex, collected over a 6-year period. Diagnosis was made with the use of CT scans and MRI. All of the patients were referred for skull base surgery. In all cases a non-pathologic asymmetry was diagnosed in the petrous apex. Certain non-pathologic conditions of the petrous apex must be treated expectantly without any surgery.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Instituto Oncológico Kutxa-Onkologikoa, San Sebastián, Guipúzcoa, España. jagonzalez@onkologikoa.org
authors.forename: José Angel
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: González-García
authors.forename: Almudena
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trinidad
authors.forename: José María
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Verdaguer
authors.forename: José Ramón
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: García-Berrocal
authors.forename: Rafael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramírez-Camacho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010579:Petrous Bone / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012016:Reference Values; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed