Beyond Tympanomastoidectomy: A Review of Less Common Postoperative Temporal Bone CT Findings

Area of Science:

• Neuroradiology
• Otologic Surgery
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Postoperative temporal bone imaging is common after procedures like ossiculoplasty and cochlear implantation.
• Interpreting these images can be challenging due to less common surgeries and unfamiliar postoperative changes.
• Access to prior operative reports is not always possible, increasing diagnostic difficulty.

Purpose of the Study:

• To illustrate key imaging findings after a range of temporal bone surgical procedures.
• To aid neuroradiologists in interpreting postoperative changes, especially after less common surgeries.
• To provide a visual reference for expected outcomes following various otologic interventions.

Main Methods:

• Review of key imaging findings from various temporal bone surgeries.
• Illustration of characteristic postoperative changes associated with specific procedures.
• Correlation of imaging findings with surgical interventions for Ménière disease, semicircular canal dehiscence, and others.

Main Results:

• Key imaging features are presented for surgeries including Ménière disease treatment, superior semicircular canal dehiscence repair, and petrous apicectomy.
• Characteristic postoperative changes after cochlear implantation and vestibular schwannoma resection are highlighted.
• Imaging findings for less common procedures like temporal encephalocele repair and active middle ear implants are discussed.

Conclusions:

• Familiarity with diverse postoperative temporal bone imaging findings is essential for accurate diagnosis.
• This review serves as a guide to interpreting complex imaging scenarios in otologic surgery.
• Radiologists must be aware of expected changes to differentiate normal postoperative findings from complications.