ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the labyrinthine fistulae on the temporal bone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 47 labyrinthine fistula cases that had undergone preoperative HRCT of the temporal bone were reviewed retrospectively. All the patients were proved to have labyrinthine fistulae during the operation for chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma from January 1983 through July 1999. RESULTS: Fistulae on the lateral semicircular canal were more effectively detected (78.6%) with conventional axial and coronal view than other site (21.4%). Detection rates of fistula were increased with decreased thickness of HRCT slices. CONCLUSION: With decreasing thickness of HRCT slices, the temporal bone CT's detection rate of labyrinthine fistulae were increased. For the fistulae on the superior and posterior semicircular canal, the efficacy of the temporal bone CT was limited.