BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of petrosquamosal sinus (PSS) and other temporal bone (TB) anatomical variations in various patients using high-resolution computed tomography (CT).

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We reviewed clinical and consecutively obtained CT data for 276 TBs of 138 patients. The incidence of TB anatomical variations was compared among patients with radiological markers of chronic otitis media (RCOM) and non-RCOM.

RESULTS: The PSS incidence in our sample was 6.9%, and it was significantly higher in TBs with RCOM (14.6%). Selected anatomical variations of RCOM TBs were observed: lateral sigmoid sinus (14.5%), prominent sigmoid sinus (23.6%), PSS (14.6%), and high jugular bulb (17.3%). Lateral sigmoid sinus and prominent sigmoid sinus (p<0.01), high jugular bulb (p<0.05), and PSS (p<0.01) were observed more often in RCOM than in non-RCOM TBs.

CONCLUSIONS: The TB vascular and anatomical variations, including PSS, a high jugular bulb, and a laterally and prominent placed sigmoid sinus, were more often observed in TBs with RCOM. Presurgical imaging and CT-based navigation techniques for TB surgery can offer remarkable value for understanding the altered anatomy of this complex structure and can localize rare anatomical variations.

Keywords: Cranial Sinuses - diagnostic imaging, Chronic Disease, Imaging, Three-Dimensional, Otitis Media, Prevalence, Radiographic Image Enhancement, Temporal Bone - diagnostic imaging, Tomography, X-Ray Computed - methods