Finding the right tests…
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Emergency services available 24 x 7
Finding the right tests…
X-Ray
MOSTOID STAINVERS 2 uses the same angled Stenvers technique as MOSTOID STAINVERS 1, applied a second time, typically to the opposite side, so both mastoid bones can be looked at and compared in one visit. Like the first view, it is an older X-ray technique, and current clinical guidance on mastoid infection points to CT scanning as the standard way to evaluate the area in detail. Doctors may still order this second exposure when findings on one side raise a question about the other, or when a side-by-side comparison is useful. It shows the same kind of information as the first view: air cell pattern and bone outline, not soft tissue or fluid detail.
The film covers the mastoid air cells and part of the petrous temporal bone, mirroring MOSTOID STAINVERS 1 but for the other side, so both mastoid bones can be compared. It carries the same limits as the first view: general bone and air cell pattern only, not soft-tissue or fine bone detail.
This entry uses the same technique as MOSTOID STAINVERS 1, an angled view that brings the mastoid air cells and nearby petrous bone into focus, applied to check the other side.
Doctors sometimes want both mastoid bones looked at in the same visit, either because symptoms are present on both sides, or because comparing one side against the other helps judge whether a finding on one film is unusual or a normal variation. Ordering both views together also means one visit rather than two.
- Current guidance on evaluating mastoid infection centres on CT scanning, which shows soft tissue and fine bone detail this X-ray cannot - A normal result on this side does not rule out infection or other findings elsewhere in the ear - The image still shows only bone and air cell pattern, not fluid or pus collections
When both mastoid views are read together, your doctor is generally looking at whether the air cell pattern, bone density, and outline look symmetric on both sides, since a difference between the two can be a useful clue even when neither side looks clearly abnormal alone.
Each view covers one side, so two are taken when your doctor wants both mastoid bones checked or compared. This is common when symptoms could involve either ear.
No, both use the same angled Stenvers technique. The only difference is which side of the mastoid bone is being imaged.
Yes, they are usually taken one after the other in the same visit, each lasting only a moment. No separate appointment is needed for the second side.
Comparing both sides can help your doctor judge whether a finding is truly unusual or just a normal variation in your anatomy, since some difference between sides is common.
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, current guidance points to CT as the standard way to evaluate mastoid infection in detail. This X-ray may serve as an initial or lower-cost look.
Not fully. This view shows bone and air cell pattern only, so mild or early infection may not be visible on either side.
Tell your doctor and the technologist if you are or might be pregnant before the scan, and they will confirm whether the X-rays are needed now or can wait.