title: Size of the semicircular canals measured by multidetector computed tomography in different age groups.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the study was to obtain reference values for the sizes of the semicircular canals (SCCs) on multidetector computed tomographic (CT) images in different age groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  Computed tomographic images of the temporal bone of 210 patients, a total of 420 ears without inner ear pathology, have been evaluated. These patients were divided into 4 groups by age: young children (<7 years), older children and adolescents (8-17 years), adults (18-59 years), and the elderly patients (>60 years). The inner diameter, maximum height, and width of the SCCs were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference in the size of SCC among the 4 age groups. The inner diameter measurements of the anterior SCC, lateral SCC, and posterior SCC were 0.101 ± 0.016, 0.135 ± 0.033, and 0.124 ± 0.021 cm, respectively. The height measurements of the anterior SCC, lateral SCC, and posterior SCC were 0.535 ± 0.086, 0.349 ± 0.090, and 0.490 ± 0.109 cm, respectively. The width measurements of the anterior SCC, lateral SCC, and posterior SCC were 0.567 ± 0.080, 0.302 ± 0.082, and 0.472 ± 0.099 cm, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The size of SCCs remains constant from children to the elderly people, unlike the other human organs. The reference values provided by multidetector CT can serve as an aid for the interpretation of CT images.
authors.affiliation: From the *Department of Radiology, Shandong Medical Imaging Institute of Shandong University, and †Department of Radiology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Daocai
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Qing
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ximing
authors.forename: He
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jingzhen
authors.forename: Liu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Ma
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xiangxing
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012665:Semicircular Canals / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*