The Prevalence of Internal Auditory Canal Diverticula Is Constant Over a Large Age Range Among Patients Not Imaged for Hearing Loss.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to establish the prevalence of internal auditory canal diverticula spanning all age groups imaged for reasons other than hearing loss and to investigate changes in prevalence with age to determine if it is a finding that develops over time. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 1000 cervical spine computed tomographies obtained in patients age 0-99 years for presence of internal auditory canal diverticula. RESULTS: A total of 405 patients (208 men; 197 women) were included. Internal auditory canal diverticula were identified in 23 patients (5.7%). No statistically significant association between internal auditory canal diverticula and patient age was found (P = 0.68). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of internal auditory canal diverticula on cervical spine computed tomographies is 5.7%. No change in prevalence was observed with increasing age supporting the hypothesis that internal auditory canal diverticula represent a normal anatomic variant rather than acquired pathology.