TY - JOUR
T1 - Craniocervical pneumatization
T2 - Estimation of prevalence and imaging of treatment response
AU - Tomblinson, Courtney M.
AU - Deep, Nicholas L.
AU - Weindling, Steven M.
AU - Lane, John I.
AU - Scheibler, Linsey S.
AU - Barrs, David M.
AU - Hoxworth, Joseph M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Otology & Neurotology, Inc.
PY - 2016/7/1
Y1 - 2016/7/1
N2 - Objective: Estimate the prevalence of craniocervical pneumatization (CCP) and describe successful treatment of this condition with clinical and radiologic correlation. Patients: Individuals with documented CCP on computed tomography (CT). Intervention(s): CT scans of the head, temporal bone, face, neck, and cervical spine. Cessation of habitual Valsalva maneuver (VM) and insertion of pressure-equalization (PE) tubes. Main Outcome Measure: The prevalence of CCP on CT examinations performed during two decades in a large academic healthcare system. Documentation of symptomatic and imaging improvement following treatment of CCP. Results: Radiology database review identified two cases of CCP out of a total of 636,854 head and neck CT scans (0.00031%) or 43,553 temporal bone CT scans (0.0046%). Both CCP patients were symptomatic (aural fullness, hearing loss, vertigo) and practiced habitual VM. One patient showed decreased CCP 4 months following cessation of VM, whereas the other patient improved symptomatically and demonstrated reversion of CCP to normal bone on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) within 3 years following PE tube placement. Conclusions: Acquired CCP is exceedingly rare and, when successfully treated, reversion to normal bone may accompany symptom resolution.
AB - Objective: Estimate the prevalence of craniocervical pneumatization (CCP) and describe successful treatment of this condition with clinical and radiologic correlation. Patients: Individuals with documented CCP on computed tomography (CT). Intervention(s): CT scans of the head, temporal bone, face, neck, and cervical spine. Cessation of habitual Valsalva maneuver (VM) and insertion of pressure-equalization (PE) tubes. Main Outcome Measure: The prevalence of CCP on CT examinations performed during two decades in a large academic healthcare system. Documentation of symptomatic and imaging improvement following treatment of CCP. Results: Radiology database review identified two cases of CCP out of a total of 636,854 head and neck CT scans (0.00031%) or 43,553 temporal bone CT scans (0.0046%). Both CCP patients were symptomatic (aural fullness, hearing loss, vertigo) and practiced habitual VM. One patient showed decreased CCP 4 months following cessation of VM, whereas the other patient improved symptomatically and demonstrated reversion of CCP to normal bone on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) within 3 years following PE tube placement. Conclusions: Acquired CCP is exceedingly rare and, when successfully treated, reversion to normal bone may accompany symptom resolution.
KW - Cervical spine
KW - Craniocervical pneumatization
KW - Hyperpneumatization
KW - Pneumocranium
KW - Pressure equalization tubes
KW - Skull base
KW - Temporal bone
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U2 - 10.1097/MAO.0000000000001024
DO - 10.1097/MAO.0000000000001024
M3 - Article
C2 - 27050653
AN - SCOPUS:84962359435
SN - 1531-7129
VL - 37
SP - 708
EP - 712
JO - Otology and Neurotology
JF - Otology and Neurotology
IS - 6
ER -