Anthropometric Measurement of Mastoid Process Using Multidetector Computed Tomography

IntroductionMastoid process is one of the most important landmark of the skull. It is a part of temporal boneand contains air filled space which is called mastoid air cells. It is also an attachment of differentneck muscles. Normal measurement of the mastoid process is very important for surgeons' pointof view. This study was aimed to assess the normal dimension of mastoid process. MethodsThe study was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted on 104 patients, at Department ofRadiology and Imaging, College of medical sciences, Bharatpur, Nepal. All CT examinations wereperformed using Toshiba 160 slice CT scanner. The data was analyzed using Statistical Packagefor the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16 (SPSS, Inc., an IBM Company, Chicago, IL). Descriptivestatistics was used to analyze the data. ResultsAmong the 104 patients who participated in the study, 38 (36.5%) were male and 66 (63.5%) werefemale. All the measurements of mastoid process taken in males were higher than in femalesexcept the anterior inclination angle which was more in female on both right and left side. Thevolume of mastoid process in males was 14.16±5.3 and 14.69±6.6 on right and left side respectivelywhile in female it was less. ConclusionsThe present study estimated the normal dimension of mastoid process. The normal dimension ofmastoid process in male is larger than in females.