title: Evaluation of vascular activity in otosclerosis by laser Doppler flowmetry: comparison with computed tomographic densitometry.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate vascular activity in ears with otosclerosis by intraoperative measurement of blood flow using laser Doppler flowmetry and to compare the data with densitometry on computed tomography (CT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-nine ears from 33 patients who underwent surgery for otosclerosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were divided into fenestral (29 ears) and retrofenestral (10 ears) groups based on CT findings. Ratios of bone density in the area anterior to the oval window (AOW) or the promontory (PT) near the round window niche to that of the basis labyrinthine otic capsule were calculated on CT images. Measurements of blood flow were performed with a laser Doppler flowmeter at the 2 corresponding areas evaluated by CT.
  
  
  METHODS
  Imaging and blood flow values.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both groups, relatively young subjects with high blood flow values in the AOW or PT had rather low ratios of bone density in the corresponding areas. In contrast, old subjects with low ratios of bone density showed low blood flow values in the same areas. In the retrofenestral group, subjects with high blood flow values in the PT showed low blood flow values in the AOW, but their ratios of bone density were similarly low in both areas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Blood flow varied and did not correlate with CT densitometry. Measurement of blood flow by laser Doppler flowmetry could yield useful information to evaluate the progress of vascular activity.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Otorhinolaryngology, and †Department of Radiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: Michihiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sone
authors.forename: Tadao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Hironao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Otake
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Teranishi
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naganawa
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakashima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003720:Densitometry; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010040:Otosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed