[Feasibility of high resolution CT in the demonstration of the vestibular aqueduct (Ménière) and otospongiosis of the labyrinth].

Ever since the introduction of temporal bone imaging by means of high-resolution CT, it appears that the combination of high spatial resolution, high density resolution and the freedom of patient positioning for scanning of optimal otological planes may play a unique role in the diagnosis and follow-up of a number of otological disorders. Two examples are described here. The first is the possibility of determining whether the vestibular aqueduct in idiopathic Ménière's disease is obliterated or not, and if so, whether it is a bony or a fibrous obliteration. Although the results are preliminary, there are indications that all three cathegories occur and that the efficacy of drainage of the endolymphatic sac can be evaluated prior to surgery. The second example is the possibility of outlining and quantifying the bone mineral loss in cases of labyrinthine otospongiosis. Preliminary studies have outlined that there is a relationship between the degree of decalcification and the severity of sensorineural hearing loss. These examples show high-resolution, thin-section multiplanar CT to have great potential in the diagnosis and treatment of otological disorders. This will become evident as the techniques that were used here are worked out in more detail and become more widely known.