AIM: To identify the main tomographic findings of fenestral otosclerosis and to evaluate the utility of the high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) as a diagnostic method of this osteodystrophy. STUDY DESIGN: A prospective and multicentric study using computed tomography (CT) of the temporal bone. MATERIAL AND METHOD: 54 patients with a clinical and surgical diagnosis of otosclerosis. A tomographic analysis has been performed to evaluate the sensitivity of CT scans in diagnosing fenestral otosclerosis, verifying the sites of predilection for otosclerotic lesions, the bilateralism and symmetry of the disease. In this study, 22 patients undergone CT scans of temporal bones have been included in order to investigate other otologic diseases and have constituted the control group. RESULTS: The CT scan was positive in 87% of the patients (77% of the ears). The tomographic findings were mostly bilateral (78,7%) and the fenestral focus more prevalent was the anterior focus to the oval window. CONCLUSIONS: The CT scan has shown a high index of positivity and the anterior focus to the oval window has been the most prevalent in this population, and it could be considered the highly suggestive tomographic finding for otosclerosis.
otosclerosis; tomography; x-ray computed; hearing loss
