Diffuse sclerosis of cellular mastoid and prominence of periantral triangle
Answers
Getting an order for mastoids is rare these days. But it still happens occasionally, and when it does don’t be ashamed to pull out your Merril’s. Tissue thickness, superimposing shadows, and awkward patient positioning make the mastoid process a difficult body part to radiograph.
The mastoid process is a conical shaped bony projection of the temporal bone that lies behind the ear (see the article on radiographic projections of the skullfor information on imaging the temporal and other cranial bones). It is located in a position lateral to the styloid process and posterior to the external auditory meatus. It has a unique bony structure which resembles a honey comb filled with a special form of air cells.
The mastoid process is almost absent or very small in the skull of newly born infants. It starts to develop after birth, as the sternomastoid muscle grows and pulls on the skull bones. The size and shape of the mastoid is rather variable and it is generally larger in males when compared to females.