The role of computerized tomography in the preoperative assessment of chronic suppurative otitis media.

Twenty patients awaiting mastoid surgery for chronic suppurative otitis media underwent preoperative high resolution computerized tomography (CT) of the temporal bones. The CT scans were compared with the intraoperative findings. CT was helpful in determining the anatomy of the middle ear and mastoid, and accurately predicted the extent of the disease process in the sinus tympani and facial recess. However, it was unable to distinguish between cholesteatoma, mucosal disease and fluid, and it contributed little to the surgical management of the patients. This suggests that routine preoperative CT scanning of patients before uncomplicated virgin mastoid surgery is of questionable value.