Pattern of Computerize Tomography Findings in Hearing Loss: A Two Year Retrospective review

Abstract

Background: Ear diseases and their associated problems are common presentations in clinics worldwide, but are seen more in developing countries. They are causes of morbidity and frequent hospital visits, thereby consuming many man-hours. There is limited literature regarding the burden of ear diseases among Africans, and Nigerians in particular. The advent of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have immensely changed the management pathway of hearing impairments, particularly in the developing world. CT has been shown to be useful for demonstrating the detailed anatomy and pathology of the temporal bone and its surrounding tissues. Objective: This study aims to determine the clinical presentations and CT pattern of hearing impairments among patients that were referred for CT in the Radiology Department of an ENT hospital in Kaduna, Nigeria. Method: The study is a twenty-four months’ hospital-based retrospective study at the Radiology Department of the National Ear Care Centre, Kaduna which is a mono-specialty referral centre for ear, nose and throat pathologies. CT of the petro-mastoid region was done for 117 patients as a result of hearing impairment. A retrospective analysis of request cards, duplicate copy of radiology reports, soft copy of their CT images and patients’ folders were considered. All patients with history of hearing loss from other causes were included. Results: A total of 117 patients were recruited for this study, with a female preponderance. The most frequently affected age group were those within the 3rd decade of life. Ear discharge was the most frequent presenting complaint and mastoid opacification constituted the highest frequency of occurrence on CT followed by mastoid wall scleroses, but 5.9% of the CT images were normal. Conclusion: CT findings, along with the clinical examination is a powerful diagnostic tool in the diagnosis of hearing loss and also provides sufficient information to the ENT surgeon regarding the extent of disease process, complications, and anatomical variants which may influence management.