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Imaging of the facial canal by means of multiplanar angulated 2-D-high-resolution CT-reconstruction

Imagerie du canal facial par reconstruction TDM en deux dimensions multiplan avec angulation à haute résolution

  • Radiological Anatomy
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Summary

The facial canal containing the intratemporal portion of the facial nerve is very important for the otologist and radiologist concerning fractures and other lesions of the temporal bone. Axial and/or coronal standards are sufficient for imaging of the labyrinthine and the mastoidal segment of the facial canal. The sensitivity of visualization (sensitivity = number of identified structures per number of examinations) of the tympanic segment, however, is low and particularly the pyramidal segment (elbow, posterior knee) is not visualized in these standards. Based on anatomical considerations a new plain for imaging both the tympanic and mastoidal segment in continuity was obtained. The pyramido-longitudinal plain is achieved by a twice angulated 2-D-reconstruction based on axial high-resolution CT-scans.

Résumé

Le canal facial, où chemine la partie intra-temporale du n. facial, est très important pour l'ORL et le radiologue s'intéressant aux fractures et aux autres lésions de l'os temporal. Les incidences standard axiales et/ou coronales sont suffisantes pour l'imagerie des segments labyrinthique et mastoödien du canal facial. Cependant la sensibilité (rapport du nombre de structures identifiées au nombre d'examens) de ces incidences pour le segment tympanique est faible, en particulier le segment pyramidal (coude ou genou postérieur) n'est pas visualisé sur ces incidences standard. Sur la base de considérations anatomiques, un nouveau plan est défini pour l'imagerie simultanée des segments tympanique et mastoïdien. Le plan pyramido-longitudinal est obtenu par une reconstruction en deux dimensions angulée dans deux plans de l'espace, basée sur des examens tomodensitométriques (TDM) axiaux en haute résolution.

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Weiglein, A., Anderhuber, W., Jakse, R. et al. Imaging of the facial canal by means of multiplanar angulated 2-D-high-resolution CT-reconstruction. Surg Radiol Anat 16, 423–427 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01627665

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