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APPARENT WALL THICKENING IN FLUID FILLED VERSUS AIR FILLED TYMPANIC BULLA IN COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY
Author(s) -
Barthez Paul Y.,
Koblik Philip D.,
Hornof William J.,
Wisner Erik R.,
Seibert J.A.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
veterinary radiology and ultrasound
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.541
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1740-8261
pISSN - 1058-8183
DOI - 10.1111/j.1740-8261.1996.tb01201.x
Subject(s) - bulla (seal) , medicine , artifact (error) , tomography , computed tomography , cadaver , imaging phantom , thickening , anatomy , nuclear medicine , oval window , biomedical engineering , radiology , middle ear , materials science , lung , neuroscience , stapes , polymer science , biology
A series of CT imaging experiments was performed to test the hypothesis that when the tympanic bulla is filled with fluid there would be a false impression of bulla wall thickening. CT images were obtained before and after introduction of water in the tympanic bulla of a fresh canine cadaver. Images were acquired using different mA settings, slice thicknesses, reconstruction algorithms, and displayed at different window widths. The wall of the fluid filled bulla appeared thicker than that of the air filled bulla. This artifact was also demonstrated on a phantom composed of a thin (0.5 mm) and a thick (5 mm) piece of aluminum imaged in air and water. The effect was more apparent when images were acquired as thick slices (>5 mm), reconstructed with a soft tissue algorithm, or displayed with a narrow window (<250 CT numbers). The radiologist must be aware of this artifact when interpreting CT images of the tympanic bullae.