Dimensions of the Internal Acoustic Meatus of a Sampled Adult Population in Calabar Metropolis Using Computed Tomography Scan

Introduction: There is currently no reference data on dimensions of the internal auditory meatus (IAM) among the adult population in Calabar metropolis, especially with the use of advanced imaging technology such as the computed tomography (CT) scan. Health-care givers are often faced with the dilemma of deciding whether the IAM is within its normal dimension, enlarged, or narrowed, mostly with results obtained from radiological investigations such as plain/conventional X-ray studies, characterized by very poor-quality images. Hence, the study evaluated the dimensions of the internal auditory meatus of a sampled adult population in Calabar metropolis using Computed Tomography. Materials and Methods: The study adopted a retrospective descriptive research design to assess 291 male and female individuals aged 18–89 (50.87 ± 17.95) years, referred for cranial CT scan in two tertiary health-care facilities located in Calabar. Direct measurement of the IAM dimensions obtained from the CT scan images was evaluated with the digital imaging and communication (DICOM) image viewer software application. Analysis was done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Inc, Chicago, IL, USA version 25.0. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Data revealed the length of the right IAM to be 7.34 ± 5.89 mm with an average width (W) of 3.14 ± 0.15 mm. The length of the left IAM was 8.35 ± 6.28 mm with an average width (W) of 3.13 ± 0.16 mm. The right inner width (IW) was observed to be wider in males than in females ( P < 0.05). Conclusion: Dimensions of the IAM (length of 7–9 mm and width of 3–4 mm) have been established in the study population with males showing a wider right IW diameter. Values outside the aforementioned may demand further evaluation.