[Computed tomography of the temporal bone in diagnosis of otitis media chronica purulenta].

Computed tomography (CT) of the temporal bone has been used to study thirty-eight 5-72-year-old patients with otitis media chronica purulenta (OMCP), in 14 of them the process was bilateral. A scheme of CT assessment of the temporal bone is proposed. The analysis of 52 CTs of the temporal bone with consideration of otoscopic and operative findings helped to distinguish CT signs of non-cholesteatomic OMCP. These signs include sclerotic alterations of the bone tissue of the mastoid process (82.7%), defective pneumaticity of the middle ear cavities (tympanic cavity - 80.7%) due to pathological substrate, destructive changes of the auditory bones (50%), carious alterations of the walls of the middle ear cavities (21%). The study of the temporal bone by the proposed scheme detected such anomalies and structural features as presentation of the sigmoid sinus (36.5%), elevation of the bulb of the jugular vein (3.8%), diverticulum of the jugular vein (3.8%), low fundus of the middle cranial fossa (7.7%).