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

CT of the temporal bone was made in 64 patients (age 2 to 66 years) with adhesive otitis media (AOM), in 21 of them AOM was bilateral. A total of 85 series of temporal bone tomograms were analysed. CT confirmed AOM in 62 cases, detected otosclerosis in 7 cases, local malformation of the auditory ossicula and/or labyrinthine windows in 11 cases. In 5 cases CT picture was normal. CT symptoms of AOM in the patients were the following: soft tissue streaks and/or sites of soft tissue density fixing the auditory ossicula or blocking niches of the labyrinthine windows (31 temporal bone), sclerosis or ossification of the middle ear ligaments and tendons (7 temporal bones), foci of calcification in the tympanic cavity (9 cases), osteosclerotic changes in the epitympanium (2 cases), scarry alterations of the tympanic membrane (24 cases), destructive alterations of the auditory ossicula (19 temporal bones). Thus, there is evidence for CT ability to differentiate between adhesive otitis media, otosclerosis and congenital anomalies of middle ear structures.