Imaging of pulsatile tinnitus: a review of 74 patients.

Objective: Our aim was to assess the effectiveness of imaging modalities in detecting the underlying pathologies in patients with pulsatile tinnitus.

Materials And Methods: Seventy-four patients with pulsatile tinnitus were radiologically evaluated. All patients except two are evaluated on a thin-section bone algorithm computed tomography scan covering the temporal bone and skull base, 14 patients with or without contrast-enhanced brain computed tomography, 7 patients with magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiography, 5 patients with digital subtraction angiography, and 12 patients with Doppler ultrasonography.

Results: The underlying pathology of tinnitus was detected in 50 patients (67.6%), and 24 patients were normal with radiologic studies. The most common cause was high jugular bulbus (21%) followed by atherosclerosis, dehiscent jugular bulbus, aneurysm of internal carotid artery, dural arteriovenous fistula, aberrant internal carotid artery, jugular diverticulum, and glomus tumor.

Conclusion: It was concluded that radiologic imaging methods are effective in detecting the underlying pathology of pulsatile tinnitus.