Evaluation of high-resolution CT after tympanoplasty

The temporal bones of 28 patients who underwent tympanoplasty were evaluated with high-resolution CT (HRCT). Seventeen patients had undergone tympanoplasty with a columella, used to form an ossicular reconstruction. The incus body was used as the columella in 4 patients and a prosthesis was used in 13 patients. No columella was used in the other 11 patients. After tympanoplasty, CT demonstrated normal appearance in 8 patients. Of the other 20 patients, 16 were diagnosed with chronic otitis media, and 4 were diagnosed with recurrent cholesteatoma on the basis of follow-up CT examinations. Seven underwent reoperation. In all 4 patients with recurrent cholesteatoma, the diagnosis was pathologically confirmed at reoperation. In 1 patient diagnosed with chronic otitis media, the pathological diagnosis was recurrent cholesteatoma. The columellae in 8 of the 17 patients could not be identified on CT because of surrounding soft tissue mass, but in the other 9 patients the condition of the ossicular reconstruction was well demonstrated. Prosthesis dislocation was apparent in 2 patients. We recommend HRCT examination in the follow-up of tympanoplasty patients.