Introduction:
The superior canal dehiscence syndrome (SCDS) is characterized by the missing bony
coverage of the superior canal against the bony middle fossa. The gold standard in
the diagnosis is the high-resolution computed tomography (CT). The differences between
the radiological result and the anatomical situation may lead to different estimations
with consecutive omitted or unnecessary therapy, i.e. surgical therapy. This study
aims to compare post-mortem CT scans with autopsy findings with regard to SCDS.
Methods:
22 non-traumatic death cases within a three-months period (January to March 2017)
were included with 44 temporal bones (TB). Each body underwent a postmortem CT prior
to medicolegal autopsy. The middle fossa was exposed and the superior semi-circular
canal dehiscence was identified and measured, if present. In each case, three comparable
photographs were taken during the autopsy (left temporal bone, right temporal bone,
overview).
Results:
Autopsy findings revealed bony dehiscences in 11% of the TB, whereas 15% showed bony
dehiscences in the CT scans. The length of the dehiscences were imposed slightly greater
on the CT scans than in the autopsy findings.
Conclusions:
The diagnosis of the SCDS requires a high resolution computed tomography along with
clinical symptoms. Our study underlines the mismatch between radiological findings
and the real appearance of the SCDS.
