Postoperative evaluation of diagnosing,chronic otitis media by CT scanning

Objective To explore the value of the high resolution CT scan of the temporal bone to middle ear disease.Methods Sixty-five case of chronic otitis media between 1998 and 2002 underwent preoperative CT scaning followed by surgical operation of the middle ear and mastoid, by contrast of postoperative findings.Results The results showed the total absence of abnormal soft tissue on CT essentially excluded cholesteatoma.The diagnostic sensitivity of CT scanning to soft tissue was 100% ,in which the probability of cholesteatoma was only 54.09% .The remainder of the soft tissue consisted of a wide variety of other benign inflammatory processes .No significant correlation between CT density numbers and the variants soft tissue masses was found.In addition,The diagnostic sensitivity of bone erosion on CT was 84-88% ,but the diagnosis of slight bony erosion due to the influence of volume averaging was very difficult.Conclusion CT scan could improve the diagnostic rate of middle ear disease and also have the directing significance in operation of middle ear and mastoid.