Evaluation Of The Functional Status Of Ossicular Chain With MPR Technique At High Resolution Computed Tomography

ObjectiveTo design the planes that can comprehensively demonstrate the functional status of ossicular chain with multi-plane reformation(MPR)technique at High Resolution Computed Tomography(HRCT)MethodsThis retrospective study was performed from January,2014 to June,2015 with waver of informed consent.The study group consisted of 120 patients(120 ears)with surgery-confirmed conductive hearing loss at our department and 40 patients without hearing loss referred for tinnitus and dizziness were enrolled as normal control.All of whom had undergone HRCT of temporal bone.The following functional planes were generated from HRCT with multi-plane reformation(MPR)technique: malleus-incus complex plane,incudomalleolar joint plane,stapes plane,and supplementary planes(tensor tympani muscle tendon plane,stapedius tendon plane,superior ligament of malleus plane,anterior ligament of malleus plane,lateral ligament of malleus plane,superior ligament of incus plane,posterior ligament of incus plane).Integrity of each segment of the ossicular chain and their relation with the tympanic cavity wall were evaluated on the functional planes and conventional axial and coronal planes.Identification rate of each of the muscle tendons was calculated.Surgical findings considered as golden standard,the sensitivity,specificity and diagnostic accuracy for demonstrating ossicular chain abnormalities were compared between the functional planes and conventional planes.ResultsConventional planes could demonstrat only a part of the ossicular chain,where as,evaluation of the ossicular chain and its relation with the tympanic cavity wall can be performed in all the ears on functional planes,showing a good total sensitivity(91.3%~92.6%),specificity(95.2%-98.5%),and diagnostic accuracy(93.4%-96.8%).Based on functional planes generated from HRCT,the ossicular chain and its relation with the tympanic cavity wall can be evaluated reliably ConclusionComprehensively demonstrating the functional status of ossicular chain,the functional planes can play an important role in determining appropriate surgical treatment for patient with conductive hearing loss.