Do CT values change over time and correlate with hearing in the non-surgical ears of otosclerosis patients?

Abstract

Background

High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is often used to diagnose otosclerosis.

Aims/Objectives

To investigate whether CT values change over time and correlate with hearing in the non-surgical ears of otosclerosis patients.

Materials and methods

32 patients with bilateral otosclerosis who had undergone unilateral stapedectomy were enrolled in the study. HRCT examination and pure tone audiometry were performed before and after the surgery. CT values of different regions of interest (ROIs) were measured manually and the data were collected for analysis.

Results

The CT value of anterior to the inner auditory meatus (AIAM) decreased by 88.5 HU (p < .05), and the changes in CT values in other ROIs showed no statistical difference. Regarding hearing, the value of air bone gap (ABG) increased by 3.6 dB (p = .020), and the average hearing deterioration rate of ABG was 3.1 dB/year. The CT value of the mid-point of the stapes footplate (MPSF) showed a certain correlation with the change of ABG (p < .05).

Conclusions and significance

The CT value of AIAM may change over time. The overall hearing of non-surgical ears in otosclerosis patients shows a deteriorating trend. Moreover, the changes in the CT value of MPSF may be related to the hearing, which needs further research.

Chinese abstract

背景：高分辨率计算机断层扫描 (HRCT) 常用于诊断耳硬化症。

目的：调查耳硬化症患者的非手术耳朵的 CT 值是否随时间变化而变化并与听力相关。

材料与方法：纳入32例接受单侧镫骨切除术的双侧耳硬化患者。手术前后进行HRCT检查和纯音测听。手动测量所涉区域 (ROI) 的 CT 值并收集数据进行分析。

结果：内耳道前部（AIAM）CT值下降88.5 HU（p < .05）, 其它ROI的CT值变化无统计学差异。关于听力, 气骨间隙 (ABG) 值增加了 3.6 dB (p =.020), 平均听力恶化率ABG 为 3.1 dB/年。镫骨足板中点（MPSF）CT值呈现与 ABG 变化的一定的相关性 (p < .05)。

结论及意义：AIAM的CT值可能随时间的推移而变化。耳硬化症患者非手术耳的整体听力呈现恶化趋势。此外, MPSF的CT 变化值可能与听力相关, 这还有待进一步的研究。

Keywords:

• High-resolution computed tomography
• pure tone audiometry
• otosclerosis
• air bone gap

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Yang for the statistical analysis.

Author contributions

Wei Chen and Yanqing Fang had equal contributions to this article. Wei Chen and Yanqing Fang conceived and designed research; Yue Geng collected data; Naier Lin conducted research; Wei Chen wrote the initial paper; Yan Sha revised the paper; Yan Sha had primary responsibility for the final content. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors stated that there was no potential conflict of interest.