External Aperture of Vestibular Aqueduct Measured by Three-dimensional Imaging

Abstract

The three-dimensional imaging used so far has processed digitalized information on the morphology of organs by the computer graphics technique. However, the conventional method has not been used clinically, because the processing of information has been inadequate.
We observed the external aperture of the vestibular aqueduct in vivo using three-dimensional imaging by the surface reconstruction method. The width was measured in normal and diseased ears. Significant narrowing was observed in patients with Meniere's disease, while no difference in width was noted between normal subjects and those with chronic otitis media.
This technique can be used to examine not only on the vestibular aqueduct but also other structures in the temporal bone. It should be useful in clarifying the pathophysiology of inner ear diseases and also in the surgical treatment.