title: Mastoid geometry in a cross-section of humans from infancy through early adulthood with a confirmed history of otitis media.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study describes the changes in mastoid air cell system (MACS) geometry with age in ears with a history of otitis media (OM), without (GR-I) or with (GR-II) middle ear fluid on the CT scan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-seven (74 MACSs) CT scans were selected to approximate 4 MACSs/year between 1 and 18 years. For each MACS, the volume, surface area and surface area/volume ratio were reconstructed using standard procedures. Correlation analysis was used to define the left-right relatedness for the geometric parameters, and regression analysis was used to determine the effect of age on those parameters for each group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty scans were from female and 17 from males. Fluid was observed in 12 left, 4 right and 10 bilateral MACSs. The MACS volume and surface area of GR-I increased with age, were significantly greater than those for age-matched MACSs in GR-II, but show large variability. Those measures in GR-II were independent of age and a large percentage of these MACS volumes was <5 ml. The surface-area/volume ratio for MACSs in both groups was independent of age and group assignment. The left-right correlations for the three geometric parameters of the MACS were significant for all MACS in the two groups, and for bilateral MACS concordant for group assignment. The left-right correlations for surface area and volume were not significant for bilateral MACSs discordant for group assignment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that: the growth of MACS volume and surface area is genetically programmed but that this is disrupted by long-lasting OM; the effect of OM on MACS growth may depend on the duration and timing of the disease, and the MACS surface area/volume ratio does not explain the effect of MACS volume on the rate of gas exchange between middle ear and blood.
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh and University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, USA. dswarts@pitt.edu
authors: J Douglas
authors: JD
authors: Swarts
authors: Sean
authors: S
authors: Foley
authors: Cuneyt M
authors: CM
authors: Alper
authors: William J
authors: WJ
authors: Doyle
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003287:Contrast Media; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006198:Hair Cells, Auditory / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008416:Mastoid / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D012016:Reference Values; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media