X-Ray Middle Ear
Also known as Tympanic Cavity X-Ray.
When your physician asks you to get a Middle Ear X-ray, they mean the middle ear cavity, also known as the tympanic cavity or tympanum. It is an air-filled chamber in your temporal bone. Separated from the external ear by a membrane and from the inner ear by a medial wall, it transmits and amplifies sound vibrations.
Sometimes Ear X-Rays are used to screen for foreign bodies that may interfere with other tests, such as an MRI scan. A physical exam of your ear is conducted by a trained otolaryngologist, also called an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor. The exam may reveal structural damage to the inner ear or causes of hearing loss and may lead to the doctor prescribing an X-Ray. To reach a conclusion or justify getting an X-ray, your doctor will perform an exam. It may include using a tuning fork's vibration and frequency to test your hearing and narrow down the cause of your conditions. A tuning fork is a "U" shaped metal instrument that vibrates at a specific frequency when struck, producing a fixed, pure tone. During a physical exam, your ENT physician will place a vibrating tuning fork against parts of your face, head, and ears, as well as in the air just next to your ears, if you have hearing loss complaints. You will be asked to recognize where the sound created by vibration is the loudest and the quietest. Based on these results, your doctor will conclude whether your hearing is affected, in the inner ear or outer ear, and whether the damage afflicts both ears.
In children and teenagers, the middle ear's inflammatory conditions are the most frequent reasons to prescribe antibiotics, X-Ray and perform surgery.
- Bone loss (chronic bone suppuration) with the disintegration of the ossicular chain
- Chronic purulent middle ear inflammation
- Dizziness
- Equilibrium diseases such as Ménière's disease
- Hearing loss/reduction
- Otosclerosis
- Chronic middle ear ventilation disorders
- Possible disruption of the ossicular chain
- Transmission of the fracture lines with facial nerve canal
X-ray is a routine procedure that does not require any special preparation. However, the following are a few points to keep in mind before your appointment:
- If you are pregnant or think you might be, inform your physician and radiologist to discuss the exposure limit for the developing fetus.
- Remove any jewelry, metal objects, or clothing that might distort the radiographic image.
- Consult the X-ray technician if you wear any on-body devices such as an insulin pump or have metal implants from prior surgeries
Your radiologist will ask you to lie straight on the X-ray table or sit in a chair. The X-ray technician will adjust your head, repeatedly changing positions to accommodate precise imaging. Tissue thickness, superimposing shadows, and awkward patient positioning make the Middle Ear a complex body part to radiograph. Doctors will most commonly identify a buildup of earwax and other substances that may be the cause of inefficient operation of the ear.
Most of the middle ear conditions on the X-Ray appear as soft-tissue attenuation. A doctor reaches the final diagnosis with a combination of clinical symptoms, otoscopy findings and radiological investigation. Based on your results, your doctor may request further exam and imaging that contributes to an accurate diagnosis. Many external and middle ear diseases are difficult to recognize and evaluate based on radiological images. Without considering otoscopy exam findings and clinical symptoms that the patient may be experiencing, it may prove inaccurate to reach a diagnosis. Understanding clinical symptoms will facilitate the radiological investigation, narrowing down the differential diagnosis. Secretory otitis is the most common affliction in children and may be seen in adults. In children, secretory otitis can occur purely from enlarged tissues with no pain or bacterial infections. In adults, secretory otitis may be found in the nasopharynx, with a tumor blocking the Eustachian tube’s opening. A radiological investigation is critical for accurate classification of the severity of the disease, accurate diagnosis and surgical decision-making.
