Semi-Quantitative vs. Volumetric Determination of Endolymphatic Space in Menière’s Disease Using Endolymphatic Hydrops 3T-HR-MRI after Intravenous Gadolinium Injection

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 10; no. 3; p. e0120357
• Main Authors: Homann, Georg, Vieth, Volker, Weiss, Daniel, Nikolaou, Konstantin, Heindel, Walter, Notohamiprodjo, Mike, Böckenfeld, Yvonne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 13.03.2015; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Audiometry; Audiometry, Pure-Tone; Contrast agents; Edema; Endolymph - metabolism; Evaluation; Gadolinium; Gadolinium - pharmacology; Grading; Hearing impairment; Hearing loss; Humans; Imaging, Three-Dimensional; Intravenous administration; Labyrinth; Magnetic resonance; Magnetic resonance imaging; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Medical diagnosis; Medical imaging; Meniere disease; Meniere Disease - diagnosis; Meniere Disease - pathology; Meniere's disease; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Otolaryngology; Patients; Quality; Quantitative analysis; Signal transduction; Statistics, Nonparametric; Surgery; Systems analysis; Vertigo; Germany
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0120357

Magnetic resonance imaging enhances the clinical diagnosis of Menière's disease. This is accomplished by in vivo detection of endolymphatic hydrops, which are graded using different semi-quantitative grading systems. We evaluated an established, semi-quantitative endolymphatic hydrops score and with a quantitative method for volumetric assessment of the endolymphatic size. 11 patients with Menière's disease and 2 healthy subjects underwent high resolution endolymphatic hydrops 3 Tesla MRI with highly T2 weighted FLAIR and T2DRIVE sequences. The degree of endolymphatic hydrops was rated semi-quantitatively and compared to the results of 3D-volumetry. Moreover, the grade of endolymphatic hydrops was correlated with pure tone audiometry. Semi-quantitative grading and volumetric evaluation of the endolymphatic hydrops are in accordance (r = 0.92) and the grade of endolymphatic hydrops correlates with pure tone audiometry. Patients with a sickness duration of ≥ 30 months showed a significant higher total labyrinth fluid volume (p = 0.03). Fast, semi-quantitative evaluation of endolymphatic hydrops is highly reliable compared to quantitative/volumetric assessment. Endolymphatic space is significantly higher in patients with longer sickness duration.