The Age-Related Growth of Mastoid Air Cells in Infancy: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Objectives: To investigate the normal growth and development of mastoid pneumatization volume from 5 to 12 months for pediatric otosurgeons.

Study design: Retrospective chart review.

Setting: A tertiary referral center.

Patients: This study evaluated age-dependent changes in mastoid air cell volume in 94 (188 ears) patients aged 5 to 12 months without a history of middle ear disease.

Main outcome measures: Volume reconstruction was based on high-resolution computed tomography images using a three-dimensional reconstruction that is considered normal by radiologists. One-way analysis of variance and linear regression were used to determine the relationship between the volume and age in male and female subjects.

Results: Forty-eight scans were from male and 46 from female patients. In the age group from 5 to 12 months, the mastoid pneumatization was independent of age ( p > 0.05). There were no significant volume differences found between the age groups. Neither male/female nor right/left significant differences were observed in relation to the algebraic data of the mastoid air cells volume ( p > 0.05).

Conclusions: Based on this analytic study, we are the first to use three-dimensional volume quantification based on high-resolution computed tomography in such large samples of early infancy. Because of its potential role as a susceptibility factor for otitis media and other otologic problems, it is important to describe the growth and development of mastoid pneumatization. More extensive clinical studies are needed to give a comprehensive insight into the air cell volume across age groups in different populations.