58 - Morphometry of the Medial Angle of the External Auditory Canal Using Computed ‎Tomography

Poster Board Number: 58
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Abstract Body : Introduction and Objectives:‎
Otitis media (OM) encompasses a broad disease spectrum that can lead to morbid complications ‎if not properly diagnosed and treated. This study aimed to compare the quantitative ‎morphometric analysis (QMA) of the external auditory canal (EAC) between healthy individuals ‎and patients with OM.‎
Material and Methods
Highly resolution computed tomography (HRCT) was performed on a temporal bone of 70 ‎control subjects and 70 patients with OM. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the ‎University of Gezira, Faculty of Medicine, Sudan, approved this study. Informed consents were ‎obtained. Data were compiled and analyzed using ImageJ software (V 1.53t) to measure the ‎EAC. OsiriX Lite was used to display images for the EAC area of the skulls' temporal bone. ‎Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (V.29), and SAS (V9.4). The level of significance ‎was set at a P-value < 0.05. T-test was performed to compare the mean of medial angle between ‎the healthy and diseases subjects, and Receiver Operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was ‎applied to determine the predictability of Medial Angle MA for OM.‎
Results
The total number n=140 (patient 70 and healthy 70), ‎‎the percentage was 57.14 % (n=40) females ‎patients with OM, and 50% (n=35) healthy female. The range of groups was (18–40 years). The ‎ROC analysis showed that the MA variable was not a significant predictor for patients with OM ‎‎(p=0.806). ‎
If the MA value was ≤ 170 the sample was classified as an OM patient. The quantitative ‎variables distribution (QVD) of MA showed that the mean was ‎‎158.35 (± 11.52), QVD by a case ‎in MA showed that in patients with OM, the average was 158.34 (± 10.68); while in the healthy ‎was 158.36 (±12.38), t ±0.007, and the P-value ‎‎< 0.994. QVD of SL by gender showed that the ‎male's mean was 159.89 (±10.88), and the female's mean was 156.97 (±11.96). QVD by side ‎revealed that the average of the left side was 158.94 (±11.50), and the right side was 157.67 ‎‎(±11.58). ‎
Conclusion
We conclude that the proper evaluation of the EAC is critical for transcanal endoscopic ear ‎surgery and the early diagnosis of a pathology impairing the EAC radiographic anatomy. ‎
Significance and Implication
Stereological methods were applied in conjunction with CT to adopt an innovative method that ‎could be used to diagnose OM. The external anatomy has described studies of the normal and ‎pathological temporal bones using CT; knowledge of the anatomy and morphometry of the ‎auditory canal may help in the early proper diagnosis of the EAC pathology, and this would ‎undoubtedly be very useful to anatomists, radiologists, otolaryngologists, and designers of ‎earplug devices and related instruments.‎
Recommendation:‎
More morphometric analytical studies are recommended for the readability of the data and to ‎demonstrate variation in age, ethical groups ...etc.‎
Conflict of interest statement ‎
The authors report no conflicts of interest.‎
Keywords:‎
External auditory canal, Temporal bone, Otitis media, Morphometry, Computed tomography, ‎Stereology, Quantitative morphometric analysis.‎