Etiology of Tinnitus on CT and CBCT: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Tinnitus is commonly depicted as a ringing within the ears, but it can sound like roaring, clicking, hissing, or buzzing. It is a symptom that shows something is wrong in the auditory system, which includes the sound-related nerve that interfaces the inward ear to the brain, and the parts of the brain that handle sound. Generally, the causes of tinnitus include: Otologic causes, Neurologic causes, temporomandibular joint, and masticatory muscle disorders. Causes of tinnitus can be diagnosed with CT and CBCT. A CT scan or computed tomography scan is a medical imaging technique used in radiology that can obtain detailed internal images of the brain and CBCT is a developing imaging technique designed to provide relatively low-dose high-spatial-resolution visualization of high-contrast structures in the head and neck and other anatomic areas. CBCT has a lower radiation dose, shorter imaging time, and better resolution than CT. This chapter reviews etiology of tinnitus on CT and CBCT.