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Petrous apex pneumatisation in children: a radiological study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 August 2020

T Hardcastle ,
I McKay-Davies  and
M Neeff
T Hardcastle*
Affiliation:
Department of ORL, Auckland City Hospital, New Zealand
I McKay-Davies
Affiliation:
ENT Department, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, UK
M Neeff
Affiliation:
Department of ORL, Auckland City Hospital, New Zealand
*
Author for correspondence: Dr Tim Hardcastle, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Auckland City Hospital, 2 Park Road, Auckland1023, New Zealand E-mail: thar956@aucklanduni.ac.nz Fax: +64 9 377 9656
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Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to investigate petrous apex pneumatisation in children, as an understanding of petrous apex pneumatisation is useful in the diagnosis and surgical management of middle-ear disease.

Methods

Computed tomography head scans from 1700 patients aged 0–16 years were assessed. Petrous apex bone and air cell volumes were calculated to determine the degree of petrous apex pneumatisation. Scans were analysed for communicating tracts between the middle ear and petrous apex.

Results

Petrous apex pneumatisation was found in 21.0 per cent of patients. Positive relationships were found between age and petrous apex pneumatisation prevalence (rs = 0.990, p < 0.001), and between age and degree of petrous apex pneumatisation (rs = 0.319, p < 0.001). Petrous apex pneumatisation prevalence did not significantly differ by sex or ethnicity. Communicating tracts were identified in 84.3 per cent of patients with petrous apex pneumatisation, most commonly anterior to the otic capsule.

Conclusion

In children, the prevalence and degree of petrous apex pneumatisation increases with age, but prevalence is not affected by sex or ethnicity.

Keywords

Petrous BoneTomography, X-Ray ComputedPediatricsAnatomy
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 134 , Issue 9 , September 2020 , pp. 798 - 803
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

Dr T Hardcastle takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

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