Difference in cochlear length between male and female patients

Abstract

Objective: To compare cochlear duct length (CDL) between male and female patients by evaluating the diameter of the basal turn (distance A) on CT scans.

Method: All temporal bone CT scans performed between 2014 and 2020 were reviewed in our medical center. Using multiplanar reconstructions, the length A, which is the greatest distance of the basal turn was measured on both sides. We performed an analysis of variance considering two factors: sex and side. Two different physicians carried out the measurements, an otolaryngologist and a neuroradiologist. The patients who had several CT scans allowed us to evaluate the reliability of our procedure.

Results: Among the 888 CT scans reviewed, 8 were excluded because of cochlear malformations. The inter-sex difference of length A was found to be 0.29 millimeters(mm) 95% IC [0.26-0.34] and was longer in the male group (p < 0.0001). Using Alexiades' equation, we found that CDL was 34.5mm [34.37-34.61] in the male group and 33.3mm [33.13-33.38] in the female group. When one side was compared to the other, there was no significant difference (p = 0.226). An intra-class correlation found a good absolute agreement between the two screeners of 0.79.

Conclusion: Males have a statistically significant longer CDL than females.

Keywords:

• Cochlear Duct Length
• Sex-related
• Length A

Acnowledgments

Kamalkishore BAGUANT, M.D, Val de Sambre Polyclinic, for copy editing.

Pierre PITET, Clinical Research Associate, Neuroradiology and MR Unit, CS 10217- Grenoble University Hospital, for advises in the design of the study.

Vincent PEAN, MED-EL France, for copy editing

Noemie DUTRIEUX, Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery Department, Grenoble Alpes University Hospital, for advises in the manuscript conception

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Ashley Baguant

Ashley Baguant is a hospital physician who is working in the Cochlear center of the Alps at the Grenoble Hospital.

Anthony Cole

Anthony Cole is a radiologist actually working at the Chambery Hospital. He has been working during several years in the neuroradiology department at the Grenoble Hospital.

Antoine Vilotitch

Antoine Vilotitch is a statistician who works at the Grenoble Hospital in the Public Health department.

Raphaele Quatre

Raphaële Quatre is a hospital surgeon in the Cochlear center of the Alps at the Grenoble Hospital.

Sebastien Schmerber

Sebastien Schmerber is the Chairman of Otorhinolaryngology at the Grenoble Hospital. He is the chief of the Cochlear center of the Alps. He also belongs to the 1205 INSERM unit in the BrainLab Tech.