ObjectiveToexplorethevalueofcomputedtomographyvirtualendoscopy(VE)inassessingossicularchaindisruptionintemporalbonefractureandeartraumawithintacttympanum.MethodsHighresolutionspiralcomputerizedtomography(CT)wascompletedin35casesoftemporalbonefractureand5casesoftympanumtrauma,allwithintactorhealedtympanum.Three-dimensionalreconstructionwascompletedus-ingavirtualendoscopysoftware.Audiologicaltestswereconductedinallpatientsandevaluationoffacialnerveinjuryinpatientswithfacialparalysis.Patientswithmildconductivedeafness,ossicularchainsublux-ationonVE,andnofacialparalysisweretreatedconservativelyfor4-12weekswithrepeatedhearingevalu-ation;thosewithfacialparalysisunderwentsurgeryifnorecoveryafter4-8weeksofconservativetreat-ment.Patientswithmoderatetosevereconductivehearinglossormixedhearingloss,incuslongprocessfractureordislocationonVEandfacialparalysis,underwentossicularchainreconstructionandfacialnervedecompressionafterconservativetreatmentfor4-8weeks,orexploratorytympanotomyonlyifnofacialpa-ralysis.VE,audiologicaltestsandfacialnervefunctiontestswererepeatedin3-6monthsaftersurgery.Re-sultsOfthe6caseswithmildconductivehearingloss,ossicularchainsubluxationandnofacialparalysis,3recoveredtonormalhearingspontaneouslyand3showednosignificantimprovement,after4-12weeksofconservativetreatment.Afterconservativetreatmentfor4-8weeks,3ofthe12caseswithmildconductivedeafness,ossicularchaindislocationonVEandfacialparalysisrecoveredtonormalhearingandHouse-Brackmann(HB)gradeIfacialfunctionfromHBgradeII,4showedfacialfunctionrecoverytoHBgradeI(n=2)orII(n=2)fromHBgradeIIIbutnohearingrecovery,and5gainednorecoveryandwentontoreceiveexploratorytympanotomyandfacialnervedecompression.The11caseswithmoderatetosevereconductivedeafness,incuslongprocessfr
