Analysis of growth pattern of temporal bone pneumatization using 3D reconstructed computed tomography

Background Temporal bone pneumatization (TBP) is influenced by age, sex, and race, and it seems to progress rapidly to puberty. However, the extent of TBP in childhood remains unclear. Purpose To investigate the progression of TBP in children aged 1–18 years via three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of high-resolution computed tomography (CT) images. Material and Methods A total of 432 temporal bones of 216 individuals aged 1–18 years with well-pneumatized mastoid antra on both sides were included in this retrospective work. We created 18 age groups, each with six boys and six girls. Surface rendering of air density was performed using −290 HU to obtain TBP. Statistical analysis employed SPSS version 24.0 software (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results The linear regression equations that considered age and volume for all cases (y a ), male (y m ) and female (y f ) were y a = 384.42x + 1790.40, R 2 = 0.425; y m = 431.54x + 1440.9, R 2 = 0.501; and y f = 337.26 x + 2140.5, R 2 = 0.355. Both male and female individuals showed an increase in the average value of pneumatization until the age of 17, and the values ​​of pneumatization at specific ages for boys and girls showed differences. The mean male and female TBP levels differed significantly at 3, 11, and 18 years of age ( P < 0.05). Conclusion TBP in boys was greater than that of girls at adolescence. It was possible to identify the specific periods of significant variation in the degree of pneumatization of temporal bone.