CT of the normal and pathologic stapes

This paper reports on CT in the pathologic stapes. The radiologic aspect of the stapes was analyzed in 287 patients with noncholesteatomatous chronic otitis media (n = 46), cholesteatoma (n = 162), malformations (n = 52), and otosclerosis (n = 27) by using axial and, occasionally, coronal sections. Two CT scanners (M1 and M2) that differ in spatial resolution were used. The radiologic and surgical results are presented. In chronic cholesteatomous otitis, we analyzed two populations, P1 and P2. In the P1 population, (n = 92), studied on the M1 unit, there was stapes destruction in 39% (n = 36), versus 38% (n = 27) in the P2 population (n = 70), studied on the M2 unit. In P1, the diagnostic sensitivity was 97% and specificity was 78%. In P2, the sensitivity was 100% and specificity was 95%. The specificity of P2 was greater than that of P1 because of the smaller number of false-positive diagnoses with the M2 unit. Equivalent results are obtained in the malformation (n = 29) and trauma (n = 16) cases. In stapedo-vestibular otosclerosis, studied only with M2, the sensitivity was 92% and specificity was 100%