Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dzt6s Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T09:04:36.924Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Correlation between temporal bone pneumatization, location of lateral sinus and length of the mastoid process

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

S. Turgut*
Affiliation:
2nd ENT Clinic of Numune Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
M. Tos
Affiliation:
ENT Department, Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
*
Mirko Tos, M.D., ENT Department, Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, DK-2900 Hellerup, Denmark

Abstract

The relationship between temporal bone pneumatization and the location of the lateral sinus and length of the mastoid process was investigated in 60 fresh frozen adult temporal bones, by plain X-rays, computed tomography and surgical dissection including otomicroscopic findings. Temporal bone pneumatization was classified as small, moderate and large. After drilling, the shortest distances between the middle fossa dura and mastoid tip representing the mastoid length and between the sigmoid sinus and posterior border of external auditory canal were measured and compared to the degree of pneumatization. The distances in the specimens with pathological eardrum and adhesions in the middle ear were compared to the ones without gross pathology. The length of mastoid process was significantly shorter in specimens with small pneumatization than those with large (Mann Whitney P<0.001).

The specimens with a pathological eardrum and middle ear adhesions had a significantly shorter mastoid length than those without gross pathology. There was no significant difference between degree of pneumatization and the shortest distance between sigmoid sinus and external auditory canal (Mann Whitney P>0.05). It is demonstrated that the ‘under-developed’ mastoid process can be a consequence of hampered pneumatization.

Keywords

Type
Main Articles
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1992

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aoki, K., Esaki, S., Honda, Y. (1986) Effect of middle ear infection upon the pneumatization of the mastoid. An experimental study in pigs. Laryngoscope, 96: 430437.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Aoki, K., Easki, S., Honda, Y., Tos, M. (1990) Effect of middle ear infection on pneumatization and growth of the mastoid process. An experimental study in pigs. Acta Otolaryngologica, 110: 399409.Google ScholarPubMed
Cheatle, A. D. (1910) The infantile types of the temporal bone and their surgical importance. Lancet, 1: 491493.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Diamant, M. (1940) Otitis and pneumatization of the mastoid bone. Hakan Olsons Boktryckeri Lund p. 1149.Google Scholar
Diamant, M. (1952) ‘Chronic Otitis’. A critical analysis. Part 3. The relationship between the size of the mastoid air cell systems and otitides. Karger, Basel. Practica Oto-Rhino-Laryngologica, Suppl. 1(XIV): 125138.Google Scholar
Diamant, M., Robinson, C., Walander, A. (1958) Otosalpingitis and mastoid pneumatization. Acta Otolaryngologica, 49: 381388.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Flisberg, K., Zsigmond, M. (1965) The size of the mastoid air cell system. Planimetry. Direct volume determination. Acta Otolaryngologica, 60: 2329.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gans, H., Wlodyka, J. (1966) Mastoid pneumatization in chronic otitis media. Acta Otolaryngologica, 33: 343346.Google Scholar
Herrmann, R., Riehm, J. (1961) Verlauf des sinus sigmoideus und pneumatization des warzenfortsatzes. HNO (Berlin), 9: 129131.Google Scholar
Hug, J. E., Pfaltz, C. R. (1981) Temporal bone pneumatization. A planimetric study. Archives of Otorhinolaryngology, 233: 145156.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ikarashi, H., Nakano, Y. (1987) The effect of chronic middle ear inflammation on the pneumatization of the tympanic bulla in pigs. Acta Otolaryngologica, 104: 130137.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kolihova, E., Abraham, J., Blahova, O. (1966) Rezidivierende Mittelohrentzündung in frühen Kindesalter und ihr Einfluss an die Zellsystementwicklung des Schläfenbeins. Radiologie, 12: 6265.Google Scholar
Meltzer, P. I. (1934) The mastoid cells. Their arrangement in relation to the sigmoid portion of the tranverse sinus. Archives of Otorhinolaryngology, 19: 327335.Google Scholar
Palva, T., Palva, A. (1966). Size of the human mastoid air cell system. Acta Otolaryngologica, 62: 237251.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sade, J. (1979) Secretory otitis media and its sequelae. Churchill Livingstone: New York p. 9191.Google Scholar
Schulter-Ellis, F. (1979) Population differences in cellularity of the mastoid process. Acta Otolaryngologica, 87: 461.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shatz, A., Sade, J. (1990) Correlation between mastoid pneumatization and position of lateral sinus. Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology, 99: 142145.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tos, M. (1982) Mastoid pneumatization. A critical analysis of the hereditary theory. Acta Otolaryngologica, 94: 7380.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tos, M., Stangerup, S. E. (1984) Mastoid pneumatization in secretory otitis. Further support for the environmental theory. Acta Otolaryngologica, 98: 110118.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tos, M., Stangerup, S. E. (1985) Secretory otitis and pneumatization of the mastoid process. Sex differences in the size of mastoid cell system. American Journal of Otolaryngology, 6: 199205.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tos, M., Stangerup, S. E., Hvid, G. (1984) Evidence of the environmental theory. Archives of Otolaryngology, 110: 502507.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tos, M., Stangerup, S. E., Andreassen, U. K. (1985). Size of the mastoid air cells and otitis media. Annals of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology, 94: 386392.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tumarkin, A. (1957) On the nature and vicissitudes of the accessory air spaces of the middle ear. Journal of Laryngology and Otology, 71: 210248.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tumarkin, A. (1959) On the nature and significance of hypocellularity of the mastoid. Journal of Laryngology and Otology, 73: 34441.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ueda, T., Eguchi, S. (1962) Distribution of pneumatization of the temporal bone in chronic otitis media seen during the age of antibiotic therapy. Journal of Otology, Rhinology and Laryngology (Japan), 64: 1539.Google Scholar
Wittmaack, K. (1918) Über die normale und Pathologische Pneumatization des Schläfenbeins einschiesslich ihrer Beziehungen zu der Mittelohrerkrankungen. Fischer, Jena, Germany p. 11.Google Scholar