Achondroplasia: Caution on aberrant venous structures in the temporal bone

In this paper we present two patients with achondroplasia and aberrant venous structures in the temporal bone. Achondroplasia is a hereditary disease and results in disproportionate small stature. Our first patient is a 4 year old girl that presented at our outpatient clinic with otitis media with effusion. During placement of a ventilation tube an aberrant jugular bulb was noticed. The postoperative CT confirmed this finding and also showed an aberrant internal carotid artery on the same side. The second patient is a 38 year old man with otorrhoe and cholesteatoma. The preoperative MRI showed an aberrant sigmoid sinus with increased cerebral venous pressure and a jugular foramen stenosis. In this paper we describe the higher incidence of aberrant venous structures in the temporal bone in patients with achondroplasia because of their abnormal skull base anatomy.