Volume rendering of the tympanic cavity from micro-CT data.

The current study presents volumetric reconstruction of the tympanic cavity obtained from micro-CT scans which pixel size was 18 μm. Thanks to this, osseous components of the tympanic cavity were shown in high optical resolution, causing that their morphological appearance was clearly demonstrated. Particular attention was paid on imaging the medial wall of the tympanic cavity, because its structures are of clinical importance. In this respect we showed spatial relationship between the promontory, the oval window, the round window and other minute structures like the pyramidal eminence, subiculum and ponticulus. Hence, application of the microcomputed tomography allowed to visualize abnormal osseous formation located within the tympanic cavity, which potentially could interrupt normal movement of the auditory ossicles.