RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Comparison of Inner Ear Contrast Enhancement among Patients with Unilateral Inner Ear Symptoms in MR Images Obtained 10 Minutes and 4 Hours after Gadolinium Injection
JF American Journal of Neuroradiology
JO Am. J. Neuroradiol.
FD American Society of Neuroradiology
DO 10.3174/ajnr.A4439
A1 T.Y. Kim
A1 D.W. Park
A1 Y.J. Lee
A1 J.Y. Lee
A1 S.H. Lee
A1 J.H. Chung
A1 S. Lee
YR 2015
UL http://www.ajnr.org/content/early/2015/08/27/ajnr.A4439.abstract
AB BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recently 4-hour delayed-enhanced 3D-FLAIR MR imaging has been used in pathophysiologic analysis of the inner ear in many auditory diseases, including sudden sensorineural hearing loss, but comparison among different time points is not clear in patients with unilateral inner ear symptoms. We compared the signal-intensity ratios of the inner ears in patients with unilateral inner ear symptoms on 10-minute delayed-enhanced and 4-hour delayed-enhanced 3D-FLAIR MR images after IV gadolinium injection.MATERIALS AND METHODS: The 10-minute delayed-enhanced and 4-hour delayed-enhanced 3D-FLAIR MR images were retrospectively analyzed. Signal-intensity ratios between the cerebellum and inner ear structures, such as the cochleae, vestibules, and vestibulocochlear nerve were assessed. Multiple comparisons were performed.RESULTS: Signal-intensity ratios of the affected cochleae, vestibules, and vestibulocochlear nerve were higher than those of unaffected sides in both 10-minute delayed-enhanced and 4-hour delayed-enhanced images. At the affected side, signal-intensity ratios of the vestibulocochlear nerve were higher in patients with nonsudden sensorineural hearing loss than in those with sudden sensorineural hearing loss on both 10-minute delayed-enhanced and 4-hour delayed-enhanced images. The signal-intensity ratios of some affected inner ear structures were higher than those of the unaffected sides in a group of 30 patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss and 20 patients with nonsudden sensorineural hearing loss on 10-minute delayed-enhanced and 4-hour delayed-enhanced images.CONCLUSIONS: Signal-intensity ratios of the inner ear show statistically significant increases in many diseases, especially neuritis, in 10-minute delayed-enhanced and 4-hour delayed-enhanced images. The 4-hour delayed-enhanced images may be superior in neural inflammatory–dominant conditions, while 10-minute delayed-enhanced images may be superior in neural noninflammatory–dominant conditions.AbbreviationssSNHLsudden sensorineural hearing lossnsSNHLnonsudden sensorineural hearing loss