Sector computerized tomography of temporal bone and base of skull.

The field of computerized tomography (CT) scanning has been one of the great medical advances of the 20th century. The field is developing rapidly with new hardware and software becoming available on a monthly basis. At the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, patients have been studied by using a sector computerized tomography scanner that has the capability of not only improved spatial resolution but also software programs, with the ability to reconstruct data using different algorithms. This versatility in reconstructing the raw data has resulted in a remarkable improvement in the ability to study the temporal bone and the base of the skull. This paper will present technical data in reference to this new generation of scanner and also show examples of the type data that are becoming available to the otolaryngologist studying lesions of the base skull and temporal bone.