The new staging system for computed tomography evaluation of chronic otitis media and mastoiditis

Objective: To predict risks for complications and determine the type of operation, several studies developed the grading system based on clinical assessment. However, there is no evidence regarding the score for tomographic opacification and bone erosion of temporal bone on computed tomography (CT) scan. Therefore, the aim of this study was primarily to design a new computerized tomography staging system for the evaluation of chronic otitis media (COM) and mastoiditis. Materials and Methods: Between August 1, 2020, and December 30, 2021, 40 patients with the clinical diagnosis of COM (males and females) have received temporal bone CT scans at medical institutions. The patients were retrospectively evaluated and verified the correlation of the score of CT imaging in preoperative evaluation with the clinical picture and surgical planning. Descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA analysis, and Spearman's correlation test were employed to evaluate the accumulated data. The P values were calculated for all tests and its outcome <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: There are significant correlations between the total score and the size of perforation, the type of surgical intervention, and low-frequency air-bone gap (ABG) (P < 0.05) while no correlation between the total score and high-frequency ABG was revealed. Conclusion: The abnormal landmarks of the temporal bone are presented, and scored systematically and there is an excellent way to analyze and make a decision not only in diagnosis but also in the choice of surgical intervention.