Objective:To explore the value of high resolution computed tomography（HRCT） combined with Magnetic Resonance Imaging（MRI） in the diagnosis of inner ear malformation. Methods:HRCT and MRI data of 82 patients with inner ear malformations were analyzed retrospectively. HRCT MPR and CPR reconstruction of the inner ear structure, facial nerve canal and oblique sagittal MRI reconstruction of the internal auditory canal were performed. The inner ear malformations were classified, the conditions of facial nerve canal and cochlear nerve were evaluated. The association between inner ear malformation and cochlear nerve dysplasia were analyzed by Chi-square test with continuity correction. Results:Among the 82 patients with inner ear malformations,there were 49 cases of bilateral symmetry, 11 cases of bilateral asymmetry and 22 cases of unilateral inner ear malformations. Respectively, the most prevalent types were IP-Ⅱ（42.96%）, dilatation of atrium aqueduct（18.31%） and malformations of atrium and semicircular canal 19.72%. Out of 50 cases of cochlear malformations,only 3 were isolated cochlear malformations, and the rest were accompanied by other malformations of varying degrees. In the 67 ears examined by MRI, 26（38.81%） had cochlear nerve deficiency（CND）, and the incidence of CND varied with different types of inner ear malformations. Out of 142 ears, 28（19.72%） had abnormalities of the facial nerve canal. Conclusion:HRCT combined with MRI can accurately distinguish the types of inner ear malformation and effectively evaluate the facial nerve canal and cochlear nerve, and further provides the important finger and Guide value for the clinician to formulate the reasonable treatment and the operation plan.
Humans ; Ear, Inner/diagnostic imaging* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Female ; Male ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods* ; Child ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Child, Preschool ; Cochlear Nerve/diagnostic imaging* ; Facial Nerve/abnormalities* ; Cochlea/abnormalities* ; Infant ; Young Adult

Objective:To explore of auditory-vestibular function and inner ear imaging features of patients with Meniere's disease（MD） at different clinical stages. Methods:The clinical data of 110 patients with unilateral MD who were admitted from January 2023 to March 2024 were collected, and all patients were staged according to the results of pure tone hearing threshold test, including 13 patients with stage Ⅰ, 18 cases with stage Ⅱ, 65 cases with stage Ⅲ, and 14 cases with stage Ⅳ. All patients were tested for vestibular function, including caloric tests, vestibular evoked myogenic potentials（VEMPs）, vHIT and sensory integration tests（SOT）. The sites of endolymphatic hydrops were evaluated by intravenous endotogidolinium-based MRI, twenty-seven patients completed electrocochleography. Results:①The disease course time of patients with different stages was different, and the disease course time of stage Ⅰ and Ⅱ was shorter than that of stage Ⅲ and Ⅳpatients（P<0.05）. ②No statistical differences were found in clinical data or vestibular function between normal and abnormal ECochG groups（P>0.05）. ③The results of caloric tests showed that the UW% values of stage Ⅲ（45.5±14.79） and stage Ⅳ （51.57±22.44） were higher than those of stageⅠ（31.2±14.9） and stage Ⅱ（33.5±13.31）, there were statistically significant differences between stage Ⅰ and stage Ⅱ with stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ groups（P<0.05）, the total abnormal rate of cVEMP was 62.72%, there was a statistically significant difference between stageⅠand stage Ⅲ with the stage Ⅳ group（P<0.05）, the total abnormal rate of oVEMP was 71.82%, the difference between stage Ⅰ and stage Ⅳ group was statistically significant（P<0.05）. The total score of SOT comprehensive balance gradually decreased with the increase of clinical stage, and there was a significant difference between the stage Ⅰ and Ⅳ groups（H=26.08, P<0.01）, and there was a statistically significant difference in the rate of vestibular dysfunction of SOT between the two groups（χ²=6.7, P<0.05）. ④Patients with vestibular and cochlear endolymphatic hydrops, and patients with simple cochlear or vestibular had significantly differences in disease course time, clinical stages, UW% value of caloric test, abnormal rate of cVEMP and oVEMP, total SOT balance score, the rate of vestibular abnormality（P<0.01）. Among them, when the vestibular and cochlear endolymphatic hydrops are at the same time, the clinical stage of the patient is mainly stage Ⅲand Ⅳ. Conclusion:Auditory-vestibular and inner ear gadolinium-contrasted MRI examinations in clinical practice provide a supplementary reference for judging vestibular function and the type of endolymphatic hydrops.
Humans ; Meniere Disease/diagnostic imaging* ; Ear, Inner/physiopathology* ; Male ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Vestibule, Labyrinth/diagnostic imaging* ; Adult ; Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials ; Aged ; Audiometry, Pure-Tone ; Caloric Tests ; Vestibular Function Tests

Ear, Inner/diagnostic imaging* ; Temporal Bone/diagnostic imaging* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods*

Inner ear malformations are anomalies linking to development insults at different periods of embryogenesis,which are common causes of congenital sensorineural hearing loss. The evaluation of pediatric sensorineural hearing loss mostly depends on high-resolution computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, which can excellently depict the temporal bones and inner ear malformations.
Ear, Inner ; abnormalities ; diagnostic imaging ; embryology ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; congenital ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Temporal Bone ; abnormalities ; diagnostic imaging ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Congenital Abnormalities ; diagnosis ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Ear, Inner ; abnormalities ; Humans

OBJECTIVE: To describe the HRCT appearances of congenital inner ear malformations with cerebrospinal fluid leakage. METHOD: Conducted a retrospective case review. The subjects comprised 11 patients who were decisively confirmed by HRCT and exploratory tympanotomy. The result of temporal bone computed tomography scans (HRCT) were analyzed. RESULT: Inner ear malformations were classified into 4 types according to HRCT findings. There were 4 patients with cochlear aplasia, 2 patients with common cavity anomaly, 2 patients with IP-I anomaly, and 3 patients with IP- II anomaly. Eight patients had defects in the lamina cribrosa of the internal auditory canal. The development and aeration in the mastoid of involved ears was normal. Soft tissues were seen near the oval window in all involved ears. CONCLUSION HRCT image has an important value in the diagnosis and treatment of inner ear malformations with cerebrospinal fluid leakage.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Cerebrospinal Fluid Otorrhea ; diagnostic imaging ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Ear, Inner ; diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To observe normal and abnormal findings of foramina within internal auditory canal (IAC) fundus with Virtual Endoscopy of multisection helical Computed Tomography. METHOD: CT scanning of temporal bone was undergone in 25 volunteers (50 ears) in the normal group, in 8 cases (13 ears) with foramina hypoplasia within IAC fundus which were shown on CT and MRI images. CT virtual endoscopy (CTVE) findings were observed in the normal and abnormal groups. The lower threshold value was 900-1200 HU, the upper value was 3,071 HU in CTVE definitions. RESULT: The shape and position of foramina within IAC fundus were shown on the CTVE image, 50 foramina within IAC fundus were shown in all normal cases. In abnormal group, 9 ears were shown as IAC fundus disorder and foramina absent, only 1 foramina was shown in 1 ear, 2 foramen in 4 ears, 3 foramen in 2 ears, 4 foramen in 2 ears; Abnormal shape of cochlear nerve foramina was seen in 4 ears. Other malformations were also shown, including IAC malformations in 3 ears and inner ear malformations in 8 ears. CONCLUSION CTVE is useful to show the shape and position of normal foramina and pathological changes in the patients with foramina hypoplasia within IAC fundus.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cochlear Nerve ; abnormalities ; diagnostic imaging ; Ear Canal ; abnormalities ; diagnostic imaging ; Ear, Inner ; abnormalities ; diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural ; congenital ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, Spiral Computed ; methods ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVE: To observe the inner ear structure with volume rendering (VR) reconstruction and to evaluate the role of high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) in congenital inner ear malformations. METHOD: HRCT scanning was performed in 10 patients (20 ears) without ear disease (control group) and 7 patients (11 ears) with inner ear malformations (IEM group) and the original data was processed with VR reconstruction. The inner ear osseous labyrinth structure in the images generated by these techniques was observed respectively in the normal ears and malformation ears. RESULT: The inner ear osseous labyrinth structure and the relationship was displayed clearly in VR imaging in the control group,meanwhile, characters and degree of malformed structure were also displayed clearly in the IEA group. Of seven patients (11 ears) with congenital inner ear malformations, the axial, MPR and VR images can display the site and degree in 9 ears. VR images were superior to the axial images in displaying the malformations in 2 ears with the small lateral semicircular canal malformations. The malformations included Mondini deformity (7 ears), vestibular and semicircular canal malformations (3 ears), vestibular aqueduct dilate (7 ears, of which 6 ears accompanied by other malformations) , the internal auditory canal malformation (2 ears, all accompanied by other malformations). CONCLUSION HRCT can display the normal structure of bone inner ear through high quality VR reconstructions. VR images can also display the site and degree of the malformations three-dimensionally and intuitively. HRCT is valuable in diagnosing the inner ear malformation.
Child ; Child, Preschool ; Ear, Inner ; abnormalities ; diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Male ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the usefulness of multi-slice spiral CT (MSCT) in the post-operative assessment of cochlear implanted electrode.

METHODSTwenty-three cochlear implant recipients were enrolled in this study. All patients were examined with a SOMATOM Sensation 16-slice CT scanner (Siemens) using the following parameters: 120 kV, 100 mAs, 0. 75 mm collimation, 1 mm reconstruction slice thickness and increment, a pitch factor of 1, and a FOV of 100 mm. The axial images of interested ears were reconstructed with 0.1 mm increment and a FOV of 50 mm, and then volume rendering technique (VRT) reconstruction were done on the work station.

RESULTSThe electrode arrays were detected on axial CT images. Both inner ear and electrode array could be displayed on one image simultaneously. VRT provided an intuitionistic view of the relationship between electrode array and cochlea VRT showed the number of the electrode array in 20 patients implanted with Combi 40 + standard electrode array and demonstrated the shape, position, and insertion depth. The electrode array number determined by VRT was in accordance with the surgical findings in 18 patients, and was underestimated in two patients. In 3 patients with Combi 40 + compressed electrode array, only 4 to 5 electrodes arrays were clearly identified and others were not observed.

CONCLUSIONMSCT with VRT can provide useful three-dimensional information of the electrode array and indicate the exact relationship between electrode array and cochlea.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cochlear Implantation ; Cochlear Implants ; Ear, Inner ; diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Infant ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Period ; Tomography, Spiral Computed

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the feasibility and usability of multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) in congenital inner ear malformations.

METHODSFourty-four patients with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) were examined by a Somatom Sensation 16 (siemens, Germany) CT scanner with following parameters: 120 kV, 100 mAs, 0.75 mm collimation, 1 mm reconstruction increment, a pitch factor of 1 and a field of view of 100 mm. The axial images of interested ears were reconstructed with 0.1 mm reconstruction increment, and a field of view of 50 mm. The 3D reconstructions were done with volume rendering technique (VRT) on the workstation (3D Virtuoso and Wizard,siemens).

RESULTSTwenty-five patients were normal and 19 patients (36 ears) were congenital inner ear malformations among 44 patients scanned with MSCT. Of the malformations, all the axial, MPR and VRT images can display the site and degree in 33 ears. VRT images were superior to the axial images in displaying the malformations in 3 ears with the small lateral semicircular canal malformations. The malformations were Michel deformity (1 ear), common cavity deformity (3 ears), incomplete partition I (3 ears), incomplete partition II (Mondini deformity, 5 ears), vestibular and semicircular canal malformations( 14 ears), vestibular aqueduct dilate( 16 ears, of which 6 ears accompanied by other malformations), the internal auditory canal malformation(8 ears, all accompanied by other malformations).

CONCLUSIONMSCT allows a comprehensively assessing various congenital ear malformations through high quality MPR and VRT reconstructions. VRT images can display the site and degree of the malformations three-dimensionally and intuitionisticly. It is very useful to the cochlear implantation.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Congenital Abnormalities ; diagnostic imaging ; Ear, Inner ; abnormalities ; diagnostic imaging ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Tomography, Spiral Computed ; Young Adult