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Published on: August 30, 2019
A practical approach to BPPV management: the auricular helix as a visual surrogate for the posterior semicircular
Dastan Temirbekov1, Elif Sari1
1Faculty of Medicine, Dept. of Otorhinolaryngology Istanbul, Istanbul Aydin University, Turkey.
Background:
Understanding the anatomy and orientation of the semicircular canals is essential for effective diagnosis and treatment.
Aims:
We aimed to examine the angular relationship between the auricular helix and the PSC to explore a potential visual reference for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) management.
Material And Methods:
Adult patients scheduled for temporal bone or paranasal sinüs computed tomography (CT) scans participated in this study. Using the Protractor application, we measured the cephaloauricular angles (CAA) and sagittal auricular angles (SAA). The PSC angles (PSCA) measurments were obtained from the CT images. Statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics and correlation tests, assessed the relationships between these measurements.
Results:
Fifty ears from 25 participants (14 males, 11 females) were analyzed. The mean CAA was 33.6° (±11.0), the SAA was 27.6° (±11.1), and the PSCA was 43.1° (±6.5). The average differences between the PSCA and the CAA and SAA were 9.6° and 15.6°, respectively.
Conclusions:
This study indicates an anatomical alignment between the auricular helix and the PSC. Utilizing the external auricle as a reference during repositioning maneuvers could enhance both educational and clinical practices related to BPPV.
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