The Reliability of 3T MRI in Detecting Endolymphatic Hydrops in the Meniere’s Disease and Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the reliability of 3T MRI in detecting endolymphatic hydrops (EH) in the Meniere’s disease (MD) and sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL). Methods: Fifty patients with the unilateral clinical diagnosis of definite MD and twenty with unilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss were evaluated with inner ear MRI. The MRI detection and imaging measurement was completed 24 hrs after intratympanic administration of gadolinium chelate. The sequence of MRI was three-dimensional fast spin-echo T1-weighted imaging (3D-FSET1WI). Results: For the vestibule, the EH was visualized in 45 of 50 (90%) patients with MD and 4 of 20 (20%) patients with SSHL. For the cochlea, the EH was visualized in 46 of 50 (92%) patients with MD and 4 of 20 (20%) patients with SSHL. Conclusion: For detecting EH in MD and SSHL, the inner ear MRI assessment after intratympanic injection of gadolinium is a useful and confident method for the diagnosis of EH in MD and SSHL. The present work also approved existence of EH in SSHL for the first time in the literature.