CT Diagnosis of Middle Ear Diseases: A Comparison with Conventional Radiology

Objective To evaluate CT in diagnosing and clinical application of middle ear diseases.Materials and Methods Findings on plain films and spiral CT of 46 ears (in 43 cases) with chronic otitis media (n=36), cancer of middle ear (n=4) or congenital malformation of middle ear (n=6) were analyzed, and a comparison with surgical findings was made.Results Six cholesteatomas and 2 middle ear cancers missed diagnosis on plain films. No definite signs were seen on plain films in 6 ears with congenital malformation. Spiral CT well displayed the middle ear anatomy in all cases, and demonstrated the soft tissue and bone erosion both in 36 ears with chronic otitis media and in 4 ears with middle ear cancer, and also showed the brain abscess concurrent with cholesteatoma in 3 cases.Conclusion Spiral CT is superior to conventional X ray in displaying the anatomy of middle ear in detail and in diagnosing of middle ear diseases, providing the operator with useful information.