Der petromastoidale Kanal

Background

The petromastoid canal was first described in 1904 by Mouret and Rouviere. Since then, there have been very few publications about this canal. Modern high-resolution computed tomography (CT) enables a slice thickness of 1 mm and less, so the course of the petromastoid canal is visible. In this study the petromastoid canal is introduced and its dimensions measured.

Materials and methods

This study involved 316 CT scans of normal temporal bones of subjects age 19.6–84.2: 156 temporal bones of women and 160 temporal bones of men. The slice thickness of the CT scan was 0.5 mm, and 16-slice or 64-slice CT was used. The middle diameter, length, and angle of the petromastoid canal were measured.

Results

The middle diameter of the petromastoid canal was 1.16±0.4 mm (0.25–2.5 mm), the length was 10.7±0.9 mm (4.25–16.1 mm), and the angle was 134.5±17.3° (124–157°).

Conclusion

The study shows for the first time the length and angle of the petromastoid canal. A slice thickness of at least 1 mm guarantees 100% imaging of the petromastoid canal. The petromastoid canal is an important anatomical landmark and is of clinical relevance.