his is a prospective study to evaluate the utility of high resolution
submillimeter MRI for direct depiction of the endolymphatic duct and sac
in healthy subjects and in patients with Mentere's disease. Sixteen patients
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 vestibular function were taken as controL Visualization of the endolymphatic
duct and sac was found to be statistically significant less frequent
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 significant
poorer pure-tone thresholds than the patients with visualized duct
and sac. Moreover, there was a statistically significant positive correlation
between the duration of illness and pure-tone average of the symptomatic
ears and non-visualization of the endolymphatic duct and sac in
the asymptomatic ears of Meniere's disease patients. |
