title: Superior semicircular canal dehiscence in patients with spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SCD) in patients with spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) otorrhea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series with chart review.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary care referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients included have undergone a middle fossa craniotomy for repair of spontaneous CSF otorrhea between January 2007 and December 2011. The main outcome measure is the presence or absence of SCD observed during spontaneous CSF leak repair. Computed tomography (CT) imaging was also reviewed to determine the diagnostic accuracy of this modality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-three ears in 31 patients underwent surgical repair for spontaneous CSF otorrhea via a middle fossa craniotomy. The average age at the time of repair was 60.5 years, and 80.6% of patients were female. A dehiscence of the superior canal was observed in 15.2% of ears (16.1% of individuals). No significant difference in age, body mass index, or sex was noted between those patients with or without a superior canal dehiscence. For the diagnosis of SCD, coronal CT was 100% sensitive and 91.7% specific. The positive predictive value and negative predictive value of CT were 66.7% and 100%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of superior semicircular canal dehiscence in ears with spontaneous otorrhea is 15.2%. This prevalence is greater than the 0.5% reported in a temporal bone study of ears not selected for CSF otorrhea.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9035, USA.
authors.forename: Kyle P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Carlos L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Perez
authors.forename: Brandon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Isaacson
authors.forename: Peter S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Roland
authors.forename: Thao T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Duong
authors.forename: J Walter
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kutz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002558:Cerebrospinal Fluid Otorrhea / Q000601:surgery*; D035301:Cranial Fossa, Middle / Q000601:surgery; D003399:Craniotomy / Q000379:methods; D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012665:Semicircular Canals / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed