Conclusion: There is a bony groove under the course of the reuniting duct of the inner ear. Cone beam CT could show three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction images of this groove in a cadaver and living human subjects.
Objective: To obtain simple and universal images of the reuniting duct in humans for clinical use.
Materials and methods: We investigated the reuniting duct macroscopically by observing the temporal bone in cadavers and living human subjects using cone beam CT. 3D reconstruction images of the duct were analyzed by the rendering software IVIEW.
Results: The reuniting duct showed a bony groove between the saccule and cecum of the hook portion of the cochlea that could be three-dimensionally visualized by cone beam CT. A bony groove image in a living human subject could also be visualized by cone beam CT.