Skip to main content
Log in

Relationship between CT densitometry with a slice thickness of 0.5 mm and audiometry in otosclerosis

  • Head and Neck
  • Published:
European Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The appropriate cutoff Hounsfield unit (HU) value for the diagnosis of otosclerosis was determined and the correlation between the bone conduction threshold and the findings of computed tomography (CT) densitometry investigated. CT images, 0.5-mm thick, were evaluated in 24 ears with otosclerosis and 19 control ears. Eight regions of interest were set around the otic capsule. The mean HU values in the area anterior to the oval window (A-OW) and anterior to the internal auditory canal (A-IAC) were significantly lower in otosclerosis than in controls. Based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the cutoff HU value in A-OW was determined to be 2,187.3 HU. The mean HU value in retrofenestral otosclerosis was significantly lower in the area A-OW, A-IAC and around the cochlea than in controls. Based on ROC analysis, the cutoff HU value in the latter was determined to be 2,045 HU. A statistically significant correlation was found between the density of the area A-OW and the hearing level at 500 and 1,000 Hz, and between the density of the area around the cochlea and the hearing level at most frequencies. These results suggest the semi-automated diagnosis of otosclerosis may be possible.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Linthicum FH Jr (1993) Histopathology of otosclerosis. Otolaryngol Clin North Am 26:335–352

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Davis GL (1987) Pathology of otosclerosis: a review. Am J Otolaryngol 8:273–281

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Lemmerling M (2004) Otosclerosis. In: Kollias SS (ed) Radiology of the petrous bone. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York (Tokyo), pp 91–98

    Google Scholar 

  4. Weissman JL (1996) Hearing loss. Radiology 199:593–611

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Sakai O, Curtin HD, Fujita A, Kakoi H, Kitamura K (2000) Otosclerosis: computed tomography and magnetic resonance findings. Am J Otolaryngol 21:116–118

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Vartiainen E, Saari T (1993) Value of computed tomography (CT) in the diagnosis of cochlear otosclerosis. Clin Otolaryngol 18:462–464

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Stimmer H, Arnold W, Schwaiger M, Laubenbacher C (2002) Magnetic resonance imaging and high-resolution computed tomography in the otospongiotic phase of otosclerosis. ORL J Otorhinolaryngol Relat Spec 64:451–453

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Mafee MF, Henrikson GC, Deitch RL et al (1985) Use of CT in stapedial otosclerosis. Radiology 156:709–714

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Valvassori GE (1993) Imaging of otosclerosis. Otolaryngol Clin North Am 26:359–371

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Blakley BW, Hilger PA, Taylor S, Hilger J (1986) Computed tomography in the diagnosis of cochlear otosclerosis. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 94:434–438

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Barr MS, Lewin JS (1993) Computed tomographic evaluation of otosclerosis. Am J Otolaryngol 14:282–284

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Ziyeh S, Berger R, Reisner K (2000) MRI-visible pericochlear lesions in osteogenesis imperfecta type I. Eur Radiol 10:1675–1677

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Huber AM, Ma F, Felix H, Linder T (2003) Stapes prosthesis attachment: the effect of crimping on sound transfer in otosclerosis surgery. Laryngoscope 113:853–858

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Swartz JD, Harnsberger HR (1998) Imaging of the temporal bone, 3rd edn. Thieme, New York

    Google Scholar 

  15. Veillon F, Riehm S, Emachescu B et al (2001) Imaging of the windows of the temporal bone. Semin Ultrasound CT MR 22:271–280

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Miura M, Naito Y, Takahashi H, Honjo I (1996) Computed tomographic image analysis of ears with otosclerosis. ORL J Otorhinolaryngol Relat Spec 58:200–203

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Huizing EH, de Groot JA (1987) Densitometry of the cochlear capsule and correlation between bone density loss and bone conduction hearing loss in otosclerosis. Acta Otolaryngol 103:464–468

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Guneri EA, Ada E, Ceryan K, Guneri A (1996) High-resolution computed tomographic evaluation of the cochlear capsule in otosclerosis: relationship between densitometry and sensorineural hearing loss. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 105:659–664

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Swartz JD, Mandell DW, Berman SE, Wolfson RJ, Marlowe FI, Popky GL (1985) Cochlear otosclerosis (otospongiosis): CT analysis with audiometric correlation. Radiology 155:147–150

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Hu H (1999) Multi-slice helical CT: scan and reconstruction. Med Phys 26:5–18

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Kiyomizu K, Tono T, Yang D, Haruta A, Kodama T, Komune S (2004) Correlation of CT analysis and audiometry in Japanese otosclerosis. Auris Nasus Larynx 31:125–129

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Grayeli AB, Yrieix CS, Imauchi Y, Cyna-Gorse F, Ferrary E, Sterkers O (2004) Temporal bone density measurements using CT in otosclerosis. Acta Otolaryngol 124:1136–1140

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Katada K (2001) Usefulness of isotropic volumetric data in neuroradiological diagnosis. In: Reiser MF et al (eds) Multislice CT. Springer, Berlin Hedelberg New York, pp 109–117

    Google Scholar 

  24. Krombach GA, Schmitz-Rode T, Prescher A, DiMartino E, Weidner J, Gunther RW (2002) The petromastoid canal on computed tomography. Eur Radiol 12:2770–2775

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. d’ Archambeau O, Parizel PM, Koekelkoren E, Van De Heyning P, De Schepper AM (1990) CT diagnosis and differential diagnosis of otodystrophic lesions of the temporal bone. European Journal of Radiology 11:22–30

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Youssef O, Rosen A, Chandrasekhar S, Lee HJ (1998) Cochlear otosclerosis: the current understanding. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 107:1076–1079

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Stanley AG (2001), Essentials of audilogy, 2nd edn. Thieme, New York

    Google Scholar 

  28. Nakashima T, Naganawa S, Sone M, Tominaga M, Hayashi H, Yamamoto H, Liu X, Nuttall AL (2003) Disorders of cochlear blood flow. Brain Res Brain Res Rev 43:17–28

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Chadwell JB, Halsted MJ, Choo DI, Greinwald JH, Benton C (2004) The cochlear cleft. Am J Neuroradiol 25:21–24

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

The authors are grateful to T. Kawase for valuable discussions and suggestions.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Setsuko Kawase.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kawase, S., Naganawa, S., Sone, M. et al. Relationship between CT densitometry with a slice thickness of 0.5 mm and audiometry in otosclerosis. Eur Radiol 16, 1367–1373 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-005-0128-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00330-005-0128-7

Keywords

Navigation