Postnatal development of the vestibular aqueduct in relation to the internal auditory canal. Computer-aided three-dimensional reconstruction and measurement study.

To investigate a possible developmental relationship between the internal auditory canal (IAC) and the vestibular aqueduct (VA), we made the following measurements in 10 normal temporal bones from individuals 4 months to 70 years of age at death, using a computer-aided three-dimensional reconstruction and measurement method: the volume of the VA, the length of the IAC, and the distance between the IAC and the external aperture of the VA. The degree of periaqueductal pneumatization was also assessed qualitatively by means of a light microscope. The three parameters increased postnatally in parallel with the development of the periaqueductal air cells, and all pairwise comparisons of these parameters showed a statistically significant correlation. Our results indicate that the IAC and VA develop synchronously and in parallel with the development of the periaqueductal air cells. We believe that an understanding of this relationship will be of help during surgery involving the IAC and VA, and may shed some light on the morphological features of Meniere's disease.