Temporal bone congenital anomalies and variatons

Background: We aimed to review the imaging findings of the most common congenital anomalies of the temporal bone and variations of the anatomic landmarks. Material and methods: We retrospectively reviewed the 1 , 894 temporal bone computed tomography (CT) and 986 temporal bone magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with regard to congenital anomaly and accompanying pathologies. Thin-section CT and thin-section T2-weighted gradient echo or fast spin-echo MRI was performed to identify malformations. The cases were admitted to our hospital with hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo and non-specific infection complaints. Results: We detected 22 cases with a temporal anomaly among 1,894 temporal CT and 986 temporal MRI images. We discussed the most common congenital anomalies of the temporal bone with imaging findings of our cases. Conclusion: This clinical/imaging review illustrates and reviews congenital abnormalities of the temporal bone: external, middle, and inner ear anomalies, vascular malformations, and variations in high-resolution CT and MR images.