Tfiis is a prospective study to evaluate the utility of high resolution
submillimeter MRIfor direct depiction of the endolymphatic duct and sac
in healthy subjects and in patients with Meniere's disease. Sixteen pa
tients with unilateral Meniere's disease were evaluated by basic audiological
evaluation, auditory brainstem response, electronystagmography
and MRI. Sixteen age and sex-matched subjects with normal auditory
and uestibulnr junction were taken as control Visualization of the endo
lymphatic duct and sac was found to be statistically significant less fre
quent in Meniere's disease patients (18.8% of the symptomatic ears and
56.2% of the asymptomatic ears) than in the control subjects (90. 6%).
The patients with non-visualized duct and sac showed statistically signif
icant poorer pure-tone thresholds than the patients with visualized duct
and sac. Moreover, there was a statistically significant positive correla
tion between the duration of illness and pure-tone average of the sympto
matic ears and non-visualization of the endolymphatic duct and sac in
the asymptomatic ears of Meniere's disease patients. |
