To search for any morphological variation contributing to aetiopathogenesis and the diagnosis of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, we measured the sizes of the semicircular canals in patients with and without benign paroxysmal positional vertigo using multidetector computed tomography.

Cranial bone computed tomography images of 30 benign paroxysmal positional vertigo patients and 30 control patients were acquired with a 128-slice computed tomography scanner and a transverse plane with a thickness of 0.67 mm. The inner diameter, height and width of the canals were measured.

The width of the anterior semicircular canals, and the width and height of the posterior semicircular canals of the affected ears in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo patients (n = 30) were significantly greater than in the control patients (n = 90; p = 0.001, p = 0.023, p = 0.003, respectively).

In benign paroxysmal positional vertigo patients, the posterior and anterior semicircular canals are longer than those in people without benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. These morphological changes may contribute to elucidating the aetiopathogenesis and be used as a radiological sign for diagnosis of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo disease.

To evaluate the usefulness and reliability of a research software application for the estimation of an individual's cochlear duct length as a basis for electrode selection.

In this prospective cohort study, 21 consecutive patients (23 ears) implanted with a cochlear electrode were investigated. The study comprised 19 children (2 bilateral) and 2 adults.

The measured ‘A’ distances (the largest distance from the round window to the contralateral wall) corresponded to cochlear duct lengths of 28.5–36.4 mm. The mean cochlear duct length was 34.05 ± 1.72 mm (33.60 ± 2.27 mm in females and 34.35 ± 1.27 mm in males). Full insertion was achieved in all but two cases. No misplaced electrode array or electrode fold-over was detected. In all but three ears, the electrode was chosen based on the research software application's indication.

The results show a good correlation between the pre-operatively predicted insertion depths using the software application and those post-operatively measured using X-ray. The insertion length predicted by the software was always longer than that measured via X-ray.

Direct extension of an intracranial meningioma to involve the temporal bone is rare. Recognised sites of origin and routes of access to the middle ear and labyrinthine apparatus have been described. Direct spread through the temporal bone to primarily involve the external auditory canal has not been widely reported in the literature.

This paper discusses clinical and radiological findings in three cases of temporal bone meningioma presenting as masses within the external auditory canal.

Diagnosing temporal meningioma can be challenging because of its rarity and the often non-specific clinical and histological findings. It is important for both the surgeon and radiologist to be aware of the diagnosis and its related imaging findings in order to facilitate a timely diagnosis.

Multidetector computed tomography virtual bronchoscopy is a non-invasive diagnostic tool which provides a three-dimensional view of the tracheobronchial airway. This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of virtual bronchoscopy in cases of vegetable foreign body aspiration in children.

The medical records of patients with a history of foreign body aspiration from August 2006 to August 2010 were reviewed. Data were collected regarding their clinical presentation and chest X-ray, virtual bronchoscopy and rigid bronchoscopy findings. Cases of metallic and other non-vegetable foreign bodies were excluded from the analysis. Patients with multidetector computed tomography virtual bronchoscopy showing features of vegetable foreign body were included in the analysis. For each patient, virtual bronchoscopy findings were reviewed and compared with those of rigid bronchoscopy.

A total of 60 patients; all children ranging from 1 month to 8 years of age, were included. The mean age at presentation was 2.01 years. Rigid bronchoscopy confirmed the results of multidetector computed tomography virtual bronchoscopy (i.e. presence of foreign body, site of lodgement, and size and shape) in 59 patients. In the remaining case, a vegetable foreign body identified by virtual bronchoscopy was revealed by rigid bronchoscopy to be a thick mucus plug. Thus, the positive predictive value of virtual bronchoscopy was 98.3 per cent.

Multidetector computed tomography virtual bronchoscopy is a sensitive and specific diagnostic tool for identifying radiolucent vegetable foreign bodies in the tracheobronchial tree. It can also provide a useful pre-operative road map for rigid bronchoscopy. Patients suspected of having an airway foreign body or chronic unexplained respiratory symptoms should undergo multidetector computed tomography virtual bronchoscopy to rule out a vegetable foreign body in the tracheobronchial tree and avoid general anaesthesia and invasive rigid bronchoscopy.

We report a novel, computed tomography guided treatment for autophony associated with a patulous eustachian tube.

Case report and literature review of the management of patulous eustachian tube.

A 36-year-old woman presented with disabling autophony. Otoscopic examination revealed a poorly mobile right tympanic membrane. High resolution temporal bone computed tomography excluded superior semicircular canal dehiscence. The patient was diagnosed with patulous eustachian tube but failed to achieve therapeutic benefit from conventional endoscopic placement of a silicone elastomer suspension implant adjacent to the eustachian tube. Subsequently, she underwent further silicone elastomer suspension implant placement via a trans-cutaneous, computed tomography guided approach. The patient achieved prompt symptomatic relief and remained symptom-free at six-month follow up.

This is the first published description of treatment of patulous eustachian tube using a computed tomography guided, trans-cutaneous approach. It serves to highlight to otolaryngologists the fact that computed tomography guided treatment of patulous eustachian tube may control disabling symptoms in patients who have failed to respond to convention endoscopic management.

This study aimed to determine whether or not the middle cranial fossa dural plate is located lower (i.e. more caudally) in patients with chronic otitis media, relative to adjacent structures.

The authors retrospectively investigated computed tomography temporal bone scans of 267 ears of 206 patients who had undergone surgery with a diagnosis of chronic otitis media, together with scans of 222 ears of 111 patients without chronic otitis media. The depth of the middle cranial fossa dural plates was recorded.

The mean depth of the middle cranial fossa dural plate was 4.59 mm in the study group and 2.71 mm in the control group (p < 0.001). The middle cranial fossa dural plate was located lower in the right ear in both the study and control groups.

The middle cranial fossa dural plate was located lower in patients with chronic otitis media, and in the right ears of both patients and controls. Surgeons should take this low location into consideration, and take extra care, during relevant surgery on patients with chronic otitis media.

The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence of coronary artery anomalies and to demonstrate in which cases multidetector computed tomography has an additional clinical value compared with the conventional angiography.

A total of 2375 multidetector computed tomography studies were retrospectively reviewed to determine the dominance of the coronary artery anomalies. The classification of coronary artery anomalies was made according to anatomical criteria – origin, course, intrinsic anatomy, and termination – and clinical relevance – benign versus malignant.

The coronary artery system was right dominant in 83.99%, left dominant in 8.0%, and co-dominant in 9.01% of the cases. The incidence of the origin and/or course anomalies was 1.76%, that of fistulas was 0.42%, and that of myocardial bridges was 10.82%. Multidetector computed tomography was performed after conventional angiography in 23 cases and it provided additional information regarding its origin and proximal course, as well as its relationship with the aortic root and main pulmonary trunk in 100% of the cases; eight malignant cases were found. In addition, in all of (100%) the six cases with coronary artery fistulas, conventional angiography failed to detect their terminations, which were clearly depicted by multidetector computed tomography.

Multidetector computed tomographic angiography is superior to conventional angiography in delineating the ostial origin and proximal course of anomalous coronary arteries. Furthermore, it reveals the exact relationship of anomalous coronary arteries with the aorta and the pulmonary artery. Anomalies of the intrinsic anatomy and the termination of coronary arteries are also better visualised with multidetector computed tomography.