title: Morphometric analysis of the internal auditory canal by computed tomography imaging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many clinical and experimental studies have been done to analyze the anatomical and functional aspects of the internal auditory canal (IAC) in human beings since there are great inter-individual variability and structural variations that may occur regarding the other adjacent structures.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to characterize the morphology of the internal auditory canal (IAC) during development using high resolution computed tomography (CT) and to analyze its dimensions, which will be determined by measuring the nearby areas and structures using a system of digital image processing.
  
  
  METHODS
  CT images of the IAC of 110 normal subjects aged 1 to 92 years (mean age, 46.5 years) of both genders were reviewed to determine the shape, area, opening width (OW), longitudinal length (LL), vertical diameter (VD) and distance from the vestibular aqueduct.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The shapes observed in children and adults were funnel-shaped (74% and 58.3%, respectively), cylindrical (22% and 30.9%, respectively) and bud-shaped (4% and 10.8%, respectively). The measurements by CT in children were: area= 50.30 mm(2), OW = 7.53 mm, length = 11.17 mm, VD = 4.82 mm and the distance between the IAC and the vestibular aqueduct (VA) = 12.63 mm. In adults, the measurements were: area = 44.64 mm(2), OW = 7.10 mm, length = 9.84 mm, VD = 4.47 mm and the distance between IAC and VA = 11.17 mm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CT images showed that the IAC has different shapes and when the measurements obtained for children were compared with those of adults, the parameters that presented statistically significant differences in either gender were length and diameter.
authors: Department of Morphology and Genetics, Sao Paulo Federal University, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors: Sergio Ricardo
authors: SR
authors: Marques
authors: Sergio
authors: S
authors: Ajzen
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: D Ippolito
authors: Luis
authors: L
authors: Alonso
authors: Sadao
authors: S
authors: Isotani
authors: Henrique
authors: H
authors: Lederman
keywords: Auditory Canal; Inner Ear; Morphology; Temporal Bone; Tomography