Like any organ in children, the ear has particular anatomical features that are well shown in imaging. The petrous bone computed tomography (CT) is a valuable tool for diagnosing ear pathologies and evaluating surgical possibilities. In children, the ear has the peculiarity of having the morphology and size of adults, and the only difference resides in the components of the middle and inner ear related to the growth of the temporal bone and the state of ossification which are progressive with age. Some aspects of growth can simulate pathology and must be known. The pneumatisation of the temporal bone occurs gradually after birth and in several outbreaks until adulthood. The external auditory canal, the internal auditory meatus and the petromastoid canal progressively reach the adult aspect because of the growth of the petrous bone. This work aims to highlight the particularities of the petrous bone CT in pediatrics, since it has become widely used in the exploration of malformations, trauma, infectious complications of the ear and in the assessment of deafness.
References
[1]
Veillon, F. and Jan, C.W. (2013) Imagerie de l’oreille et de l’os temporal. Volume 5, Lavoisier.
[2]
Idris, S., Patel, J.H., Renani, A.S., Allan, R. and Vlahos, I. (2015) CT of Normal Developmental and Variant Anatomy of the Pediatric Skull: Distinguishing Trauma from Normality. Radiographics, 35, 1585-1601. https://doi.org/10.1148/rg.2015140177
[3]
Bachor, E., Byahatti, S. and Karmody, S. (1997) The Cochlear Aqueduct in Pediatric Temporal Bone. European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, 254, 34-38. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02439718
[4]
Pekkola, J., Pitkaranta, A., Jappel, A., et al. (2004) Localized Pericochlear Hypoattenuating Foci at Temporal-Bone Thin-Section CT in Pediatric Patients: Nonpathologic Differential Diagnostic Entity? Radiology, 230, 88-92. https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.2301021111
[5]
Moser, T., Veillon, F., Sick, H. and Riehm, S. (2008) The Hypodense Focus in the Petrous Apex: A Potential Pitfall on Multidetector CT Imaging of the Temporal Bone. AJNR, 29, 35-39. https://doi.org/10.3174/ajnr.A0737
[6]
Chadwell, J.B., Halsted, M.J., Choo, D.I., Greinwald, J.H. and Benton, C. (2004) The Cochlear Cleft. AJNR, 25, 21-24.
[7]
Yokoyama, T., Iino, Y., Kakizaki, K. and Murakami, Y. (1999) Human Temporal Bone Study on the Postnatal Ossification Process of Auditory Ossicles. Laryngoscope, 109, 927-930. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005537-199906000-00016
[8]
Virapongse, C., Sarwar, M., Bhimani, S., Sasaki, C. and Shapiro, R. (1985) Computed Tomography of Temporal Bone Pneumatization: 1. Normal Pattern and Morphology. AJNR, 6, 551-559. https://doi.org/10.2214/ajr.145.3.473
[9]
Elmaleh-Bergès, M., et al. (2006) Le sourd est un enfant: qu’est-ce que ça change. Journal of Radiology, 87, 1795-1812.