MRI of the Inner Ear

Krombach GA, Schmitz-Rode T, Tacke J, Glowinski A, Nolte-Ernsting CC, Günther RW. MRI of the inner ear: Comparison of axial T2-weighted, three-dimensional turbo spin-echo images, maximum-intensity projections, and volume rendering. Invest Radiol 2000;35:337–342. RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES. To compare the ability of axial T2-weighted, three-dimensional, turbo spin-echo (3D TSE) images, targeted maximum-intensity projections (MIPs), and 3D volume reconstructions to depict anatomic details of the labyrinth. METHODS. In 24 volunteers, 3D TSE images were obtained. MIPs and 3D volume reconstructions were performed from the acquired data. All images were evaluated by three radiologists independently regarding the visualization of the different anatomic structures. RESULTS. In the axial slices, most anatomic details were visible in comparison with observations by the other modalities. The 2.5 windings of the cochlea were best depicted on the MIPs. Volume reconstructions rendered excellent spatial information regarding the vestibule and semicircular canals and were the only technique that demonstrated all three ampullae in all cases. CONCLUSIONS. Axial TSE images, MIPs, and 3D volume reconstructions are complementary modalities that provide different information. Our results suggest that improved diagnostic information can be obtained by applying these volume visualization reconstruction techniques.