J Korean Radiol Soc.  1994 Nov;31(5):813-818.

Temporal Bone Trauma: Correlative Study between CT Findings and Clinical IVlanifestations

• Kim JH
• Kim HJ
• Kim JH

Abstract

PURPOSE
To assess how accurately computed tomography (CY) can demonstrate the abnormal findings which are believed to cause the clinical signs and symptoms of hearing loss (HL), vertigo and facial paralysis (FP) in patients with temporal bone trauma.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The authors studied CT scans of 39 ears in 35 patients with temporal bone trauma. CT scans were performed with 1-115 mm slice thickness and table incrementation. Both axial and coronal scans were obtained in 32 patients and in three patients only axial scans were obtained. We analyzed CT with special reference to the structural abnormalities of the external auditory canal, middle ear cavity, bony labyrinth, and facial nerve canal, and correlated these findings with the actual clinical signs and symptoms. As to hearing loss, we evaluated 32 ears in which pure tone audiometry or brainstem evoked response audiometry had been performed.
RESULTS
With respect to the specific types of HL, CT accurately showed the abnormalities in 84% (16/19) in conductive HL, 100% (2/2) in sensorineural HL, and 25% (2/8) for mixed HL. When we categorized HL simply as conductive and sensorineural, assuming that mixed be the result of combined conductive and sensorineural HL, CT demonstrated the abnormalities in 89% (24/27) for conductive HL and 50% (5/10) for sensorineural HL. Concerning vertigo and FP, CT demonstrated abonormalities in 67%(4/6), and 29% (4/14), respectively.
CONCLUSION
Except for conductive HL, CT seems to have a variable degree of limitation for the demonstration of the structural abnormalities resulting sensorineural HL, vertigo or facial paralysis. It is imperative to correlate the CT findings with the signs and symptoms in those clinical settings.

MeSH Terms

Audiometry
Audiometry, Evoked Response
Brain Stem
Ear
Ear Canal
Ear, Inner
Ear, Middle
Facial Nerve
Facial Paralysis
Hearing Loss
Humans
Temporal Bone*
Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Vertigo