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Publications

Case Reports Epublish 1 citation

PubMed: 35454048 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12041000

The Tyndall Effect in High-Resolution Computed Tomography of Semicircular Canalolithiasis with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo.

Diagnostics (Basel) 12(4)

Authors: Jiann-Jy Chen, Chun-Chung Lui, Tien-Yu Chen, Ping-Tao Tseng, Chao-Ming Hung

Affiliations

  • Department of Otorhinolaryngology, E-Da Cancer Hospital, Kaohsiung 82445, Taiwan.
  • Prospect Clinic for Otorhinolaryngology & Neurology, Kaohsiung 81166, Taiwan.
  • Division of Medical Image, E-Da Cancer Hospital, Kaohsiung 82445, Taiwan.
  • Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan.
  • Institute of Brain Science, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan.
  • Department of Psychology, College of Medical and Health Science, Asia University, Taichung 41354, Taiwan.
  • Institute of Biomedical Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan.
  • Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, E-Da Cancer Hospital, Kaohsiung 82445, Taiwan.
  • School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 84001, Taiwan.

Abstract

To date, along with the progress of new technology and computer program development, the high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) had been applied in different clinical application, such as HRCT for coronary angiography. In the current neuroimaging reports, we present HRCT images of the head/neck of two cases, in which one had a diagnosis of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and the other did not, to represent the Tyndall effect, which describes the scattering of light by particles (i.e., semicircular canalolithiasis) in the path of light and enables clinicians to see a specific signal on the HRCT images. On the HRCT image of the patient with canalolithiasis with BPPV, we could obviously see the scattering effect (i.e., Tyndall effect) in the horizontal/posterior semicircular canal; however, on the HRCT image of the other without canalolithiasis, we could not see such findings. Therefore, through the assistance of technological progress, HRCT might be beneficial in the diagnosis of semicircular canalolithiasis, which has the advantage of being noninvasive and having a low risk of complications. However, because of the disadvantages of expense and risk of radiation exposure, HRCT should be reserved for patients who are difficult to diagnose.

MeSH

Diagnosis, Risk, Semicircular Canals, Tomography, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo