An evaluation of preoperative computed tomography on patients with chronic otitis media.

This study aimed to compare the veracity of computed tomography findings on patients undergoing surgery for chronic otitis media (COM) with the surgical findings, and to determine to what extent the preoperative computerized tomography (CT) findings are useful to the surgeon. A series of 56 patients with COM undergoing preoperative CT scanning followed by surgical exploration of the middle ear and mastoid. Operative notes were recorded and data collected on the nature of soft tissue masses, the status of the ossicles, presence or absence of facial canal dehiscence and semicircular canal (SCC) dehiscence and the presence or absence of dural plate erosion, and sigmoid sinus thrombosis. Fifty-six patients were recruited in the study, 30 males and 26 females. The age range was from 16 to 67 years with a mean of 26.51 ± 1.4 years. The preoperative CT scan imaging in cases of cholesteatoma, ossicular chain erosion and SCC dehiscence have good correlation with the intraoperative findings. The specificity of preoperative CT scan in detecting facial canal dehiscence, dural plate erosion and sigmoid sinus thrombosis in patient of COM were weak. Preoperative computed tomography evaluation is fairly useful especially in cases of cholesteatoma. According to the results of this study, CT is of value particularly in the definition of cholesteatoma, and in determining ossicular chain erosion and semicircular canal fistula.