A 23-year-old male motorcyclist experienced blunt head trauma with loss of consciousness, headache and vomiting, epistaxis and right otorrhagia after a collision with a motor vehicle. Fractures involving the right parietal and temporal bones, as well as acute subdural and subarachnoid hemorrhage were identified on a cranial and facial CT scan. On independent evaluation of the imaging study, a subtle but distinct fracture line in the skull base involving the petrous carotid canal was identified. (Figure 1) The patient subsequently underwent CT angiography to evaluate for any injury to the internal carotid artery. In this examination, good opacification of the internal carotid arteries and their branches was noted, with no evident aneurysm, arteriovenous malformation or arteriovenous fistula formation. In patients with temporal bone fractures, the most commonly encountered complications are: tympano-ossicular injury causing conductive hearing loss, cochlear or vestibular injury causing sensorineural hearing loss or vertigo, facial nerve trauma causing facial paralysis, and fractures of the tegmen or posterior cranial fossa plate causing cerebrospinal fluid leaks.1 On the other hand, injury to the intratemporal portion of the internal carotid artery has been described as a rare complication and as such may be overlooked.1 However, its potentially devastating and life-threatening sequelae necessitates a purposeful and intentional evaluation for its presence. These sequelae include brain ischemia from arterial dissection or complete vascular occlusion, exsanguinating epistaxis or otorrhagia from carotid pseudoaneurysms, and the formation of carotid-cavernous fistulas.2 The incidence of involvement of the carotid canal in skull base fractures has been reported to be around 24%, with around 11% of this group developing internal carotid artery injuries.3 As such, the presence of fractures involving the petrous carotid canal is an indication for CT or MR angiography to further evaluate the internal carotid artery.
Fracture ; temporal bone ; internal carotid artery

Background: Pure tone audiometry is routinely used to determine conductive and sensorineural hearing status. Ossicular discontinuity is usually assessed intra-operatively. If ossicular discontinuity can be predicted by pure tone audiometry, perhaps the operative procedure of choice and prognosis for hearing can also be anticipated. Objective: To determine the predictive value of preoperative pure tone audiometry on the presence of gross ossicular discontinuity in chronic otitis media. Methods: Records of 205 patients, 7 to 75 years of age undergoing their first operation for chronic otitis media were reviewed. Preoperative audiograms and operative records for tympanomastoidectomy were evaluated. A total of 162 patients meeting inclusion criteria were included in the study. Likelihood ratios for positive and negative ossicular discontinuity for frequency-specific air-bone gap cut-offs were determined. Multiple logistic regression analysis for pure tone audiometry and operative findings to predict ossicular discontinuity was performed and a model for predicting ossicular discontinuity using logistic regression obtained. Results and Conclusion: Frequency-specific air bone gap (ABG) cut-off values can predict ossicular discontinuity in chronic suppurative otitis media namely: < 20 dB ABG at 500 Hz predicts absence of ossicular discontinuity while > 50 dB ABG at 500 Hz, >30 dB ABG at 2 KHz, and > 50 dB ABG at 4 KHz best predict the presence of ossicular discontinuity in general. In the absence of cholesteatoma, the air bone gaps of <30 dB at 500 Hz and <20 dB at 1 KHz decrease probability of ossicular discontinuity from 32.97 percent to 2.54 percent. Combination of air bone gaps of >50 dB at 500 Hz, >20 dB at 2 KHz and >40 dB at 4 KHz increase the probability of ossicular discontinuity from 32.97 percent to 85.9 percent. These findings suggest that ossicular exploration may not be necessary for the former while an evaluation of the ossicular chain may be mandatory for the latter in the setting where cholesteatoma is not present or suspected. Presence of cholesteatoma, granulation tissue and size of tympanic membrane perforation are important factors to consider in predicting ossicular discontinuity. (Author)
AUDIOMETRY AUDIOMETRY ; PURE-TONE OTITIS MEDIA OTITIS MEDIA ; SUPPURATIVE LOGISTIC MODELS HEARING TESTS SUPPURATION

OBJECTIVE: To present two cases in which an improved rhombotrapezius flap design was utilized maximally to cover a wide and deep surgical defect after extirpation of a malignant tumor in the temporo-facial area. SETTING: Tertiary Hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODOLOGY: Two cases of malignancy involving the temporo-facial area of the head are presented. Surgical design for the reconstruction of this defect using rhombotrapezius flap is presented. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Large and deep temporo-facial defects are adequately closed by rhombotrapezius flap with adequate tissue coverage. Surgical design proved to be acceptable with good flap take and overall cosmetic result. CONCLUSION: Rhombotrapezius flap can be used to cover a large deep defect and can provide more than adequate tissue coverage and bulk to any temporo-facial defects. (Author)
CASE REPORTS

Objective: This report aims to determine the clinical manifestations and management of patients with superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome (SSCDS). Methods: Design: Case series Setting: Tertiary hospitals and private clinics Participants: Out of 30 patients with vestibular vertigo or otologic symptoms, 14 patients were diagnosed with SSCDS based on high resolution computed tomographic scan (HRCT). The demographic features, incidence of specific signs and symptoms and management of these patients were described, including the audiograms, vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) responses and ancillary tests. Results: Vertigo was the most common vestibular symptom of SSCDS. Tullio phenomenon was elicited in 50% of patients with confirmed dehiscence on HRCT scan. Low frequency (250 Hz and 500 Hz) air-bone gap was noted in 21.4% of patients. Lowered VEMP responses were also noted in 66.7% of patients with confirmed SSCDS. Severity of symptoms may determine its management. Conclusion: The diagnosis of SSCDS does not conform to a specific clinical presentation or audiologic result and good clinical correlation is needed in order to raise suspicion of the disease and prompt the clinician to order confirmatory imaging by computed tomographic scan or magnetic resonance imaging. The presence of this syndrome in a proportion of children that is greater than previously reported needs further study as these children may be genetically predisposed to have thinned out superior semicircular canals that eventually become dehisced albeit at an earlier age.

During a discussion on temporal bone imaging, a group of resident trainees in otolaryngology were asked to corroborate the finding of a fracture in set of images that were supposed to be representative of a fracture involving the otic capsule.1(Figure 1) Their comments included the following statements: “The image still does not clearly identify the fracture. It would have been better if the images were set to the optimal bone window configuration...” “The windowing must be of concern as well. The exposure setting for the non-magnified view is different from the magnified ones. One must observe consistent windowing in order to assess the fractures more accurately.” “...the images which demonstrate a closer look on the otic capsule areas are not rendered in the temporal bone window which makes it difficult to assess.” “...aside from lack of standard windowing...”
Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Temporal Bone Diagnostic ; Imaging Diagnostic Tests ; Routine ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ;

Neuroma, Acoustic ; Diagnostic Imaging

Hydrocephalus ; Otitis

In 2009, a 52-year-old man presented with a two year history of intermittent right-sided pulse-synchronous tinnitus. He noted that the tinnitus worsened when his blood pressure was elevated. Otologic exam was unremarkable, with no obvious middle ear fluid or mass. There was no neck bruit, and the tinnitus diminished on manual compression of the ipsilateral internal  jugular vein. In keeping with the recommendations for clinical imaging at that time, a non-contrast CT of the temporal bone was performed. This was to evaluate for conditions such as : a middle ear glomus, an aberrant internal carotid artery, a jugular bulb variant (e.g. a high-riding jugular bulb), otosclerosis, superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome, a persistent stapedial artery, or a hemangioma of the temporal bone.1 No evidence of these conditions was found. An MRI of the brain, with MR angiography and venography of the intracranial vasculature also performed to evaluate for conditions such as:  idiopathic intracranial hypertension, a dural arteriovenous fistula, an arteriovenous malformation, vascular loop syndrome, and dural sinus stenosis or thrombosis.2 All of these conditions were excluded. As no definite pathology was identified, no firm treatment reommendations were initiallly made.

In 2011, Eisenman reported on a series of 13 patients with pulsatile tinnitus due to a sigmoid sinus diverticulum and/or dehiscence who were successfully treated surgically via an extraluminal transmastoid approach.3 This was the first relatively large series published in the otologic literature. This publication likewise reported on the subtle radiologic signs that signify the presence of a sigmoid sinus diverticulum and/or dehiscence, such as an irregularity of the normal semicircular contour of the bony sinus wall, focal thinning of the calvarial cortex overlying the adjacent sinus wall, absence of the normal thin layer of cortical bone overlying the sinus, and the "air-on-sinus" sign, where mastoid air cells directly contact the sinus wall, without overlying bone.3

In light of this new information, the patient's imaging studies were re-evaluated, and evidence of a right-sided sigmoid sinus diverticulum and/or dehiscence was identified. The images below show the findings on an axial slice of the patient's temporal bone CT study.

How significant is this condition ? Sigmoid sinus diverticulum and/or dehiscence is being increasingly recognized as a common cause of pulsatile tinnitus. In fact, a recent study by Schoeff et al. found its prevalence to be 23% in patients with pulsatile tinnitus.4 As such, the identification of this condition is highly relevant, particularly because effective surgical management is available for its alleviation.

A 19-year-old woman presented with an 11-month history of sudden-onset left sided hearing loss accompanied by vertigo and headache. Audiometric testing revealed profound left- sided hearing loss. A contrast-enhanced MRI of the internal auditory canal performed 5 months after symptom onset was interpreted as showing a vascular loop, probably the anterior inferior cerebellar artery, abutting and indenting on the left vestibulocochlear nerve; and a prominent and high-riding left jugular bulb. In this study, the internal auditory canals were assessed to be of normal width, with walls that were smooth and sharply defined. A cerebral CT angiogram subsequently performed did not show any abnormal findings related to the previously identified vascular loop. On the basis of these radiologic findings, the patient was advised surgery by physicians at a tertiary- care institution, presumably to address the identified vascular loop. A second opinion was sought by the patient.
Hearing Loss