Investigation of temporal bone asymmetry in cases with unilateral tinnitus: morphometric and multicentric clinical study

Abstrakt

The aim of this multicentric study was carried out to compare the anatomical structures of temporal bones in patients with unilateral tinnitus in healthy ears. We also aimed at evaluating whether age- and gender-related asymmetrical changes occur in temporal bones or not. Fifty-two ears of 26 patients who had unilateral tinnitus were included into the retrospective study. The patients who had subjective nonpulsatile tinnitus and who previously had temporal computed tomography according to their file records were accepted to the study. Temporal computed tomography scans and audiometric results of patients were examined retrospectively. Middle ear volume, diameter of internal acoustic meats, and diameter of jugular bulb were evaluated by both anatomist and radiologist, in an interobserver manner. Internal acoustic meats and jugular bulb were found to be larger in the ears that had tinnitus than in the healthy ears; however, there was no statistical significance. The stereological morphometric study of the correlation with sex of temporal bone asymmetry in humans is of importance for both otolaryngologists and anatomists. These results will contribute to data on middle ear volume, internal acoustic meats, and jugular bulb sizes.