Long-term evaluation of otosclerosis on temporal bone CT

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Otolaryngology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Otosclerosis is a bone disease affecting the middle ear, potentially leading to hearing loss.
• Long-term CT imaging can reveal disease progression, but data on lesion changes over time is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the long-term progression of otosclerosis lesions on temporal bone CT scans.
• To assess changes in lesion expansion, distribution, and density over a 5-14 year period.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 35 patients with otosclerosis undergoing HRCT or CBCT between 2012-2022.
• Inclusion criteria required follow-up imaging over a minimum of five years.
• Otosclerosis subtypes (fenestral, retrofenestral, IAC) were analyzed for changes in lesion density and volume.

Main Results:

• Over 5-14 years, fewer than a third of patients showed increased otosclerotic volume (16% fenestral, 20.6% retrofenestral).
• Density increased in 24% of fenestral and 38.2% of retrofenestral cases; no changes were seen in IAC lesions.
• No cases demonstrated progression from fenestral to retrofenestral otosclerosis.

Conclusions:

• Otosclerosis lesions exhibit minimal long-term progression in size and density over 5-14 years.
• The observed slight morphological changes correlate with limited hearing loss progression.
• CT imaging is valuable for monitoring otosclerosis, showing slow disease course in most patients.