[The use of cone beam computed tomography for diagnostics of chronic suppurative otitis media]

The objective of the present study was to estimate the potential of cone beam computed tomography of the temporal bone as a diagnostic tool for chronic suppurative otitis media. This method was employed to study the temporal bones of 33 patients presenting with chronic suppurative otitis media (18 cases of one-sided and 15 cases of two-sided inflammatory process). The results of the total of 48 sessions of beam computed tomography of the temporal bones were available for analysis. The age of the patients varied from 16 to 80 years. Seven of them presented with chronic suppurative otitis media in combination with cholesteatoma. The clinical symptoms of chronic suppurative otitis media were revealed by cone beam computed tomography in conjunction with the peculiarities of visualization of bone tissue destruction using this technique (both in the presence of cholesteatoma and without it). The rationale has been developed for the use of cone beam computed tomography in diagnostics of chronic suppurative otitis media.