Finding the right tests…
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Emergency services available 24 x 7
Finding the right tests…
CBCT
A CBCT inner ear scan images the temporal bone, the dense bone on the side of the skull that houses the structures of hearing and balance. It shows fine bony detail such as the cochlea, the semicircular canals, and the small bones of the middle ear, which matters when chronic ear disease or a hearing or balance problem is being worked up before possible surgery. This scan is built around bone detail rather than soft tissue, so it is typically ordered alongside, not instead of, other tests when soft tissue inside the ear also needs review. An ENT surgeon commonly orders it as part of planning for ear surgery, including procedures like cochlear implant assessment.
The scan covers the temporal bone on the side of the skull, showing the cochlea, semicircular canals, the ossicles of the middle ear, and the bony canal that carries the hearing and balance nerves. Your doctor reviews it for bone-level detail relevant to chronic ear disease, congenital differences, or surgical planning, rather than for soft tissue changes inside the ear.
The structures that let you hear and keep your balance sit inside a small, dense area of bone just behind your ear, called the temporal bone. Seeing this area clearly needs a scan built for fine bone detail rather than a general skull image.
An ENT doctor might order this scan when chronic ear disease is suspected, when surgery on the ear or mastoid is being planned, or when a congenital difference in the inner ear's structure needs to be checked. It is also used in planning and assessment around cochlear implants, where the exact shape of the inner ear bone matters for the procedure.
- Shows the cochlea, semicircular canals, and middle ear bones with fine bony detail - Does not show soft tissue structures inside the ear as clearly as an MRI can - Often used together with other imaging when a full picture, bone and soft tissue both, is needed
Because this scan is centred on bone rather than soft tissue, your ENT doctor decides whether it stands alone for your case or is paired with another type of imaging. Ask them what specifically they are checking before the scan is done.
CBCT can give fine bony detail of the temporal bone with a scan that is generally quicker and lower dose than a standard multi-slice CT, which is why some ENT doctors prefer it for bone-focused ear imaging.
It shows the bony canal the hearing nerve travels through, not the nerve itself in detail. Soft tissue nerve problems are usually better assessed with an MRI.
It uses the same type of scanner technology, but the field of view and area imaged are centred on the temporal bone and inner ear rather than the teeth and jaw.
This page is general information about the test, not medical advice. Your own report's reference ranges apply — please discuss your results with your doctor.
No. You stay still while the scanner rotates around your head. Nothing is inserted into the ear canal during the scan itself.
It shows the bony anatomy that may explain a structural cause of hearing loss, but hearing itself is measured with a hearing test, not this scan.
Sometimes. Since this scan is centred on bone, your doctor may add an MRI if soft tissue inside the ear also needs to be checked.
Yes, when an ENT doctor has a specific reason to check the inner ear's bony structure. Ask your doctor about anything specific for a child's scan.