Morphometric evaluation of facial and vestibulocochlear nerves using magnetic resonance imaging: comparison of Meni ère’s disease ears with normal hearing ears

AbstractLoss of neural structures (such as hair cells or neurones within the spiral ganglion) has been proposed to be involved in Meni ère’s disease (MD) (Spoendlin et al. Acta oto-laryngologica Supplementum 499:1–21,1; Merchant et al. Eur Arch Oto-Rhino-Laryngol Off J Eur Feder Oto-Rhino-Laryngol Soc (EUFOS) Affil German Soc Oto-Rhino-Laryngol Head Neck Surg 252(2):63 –75,2; Tsuji et al. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol Suppl 81:26 –31,3; Kariya, Otol Neurotol Off Publ Am Otol Soc Am Neurotol Soc Eur Acad Otol Neurotol 28(8):1063 –1068,4; Megerian Laryngoscope 115(9):1525 –1535,5) but this has yet to be confirmed. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate morphometric changes of VIIth and VIIIth cranial nerve in MD. MD is characterized by episodic vertigo, tinnitus, fluctuating hearing loss, and aural fullness. The exact pathophysiological mechanisms involved such as viral infections, autoimmune processes, genetic predisposition, cellular apoptosis, and oxidative stress are still not clear. Using a T2-weighted 3D-GE “constructive interference in steady state” (CISS) 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequence, we evaluated the properties of the VIIth and VIIIth cranial nerves as they passed from the cerebellopontine angle to the inner ear modiolus. 21 patients with MD were examined along with 39 normal con trols. Bidirectional nerve diameters and cross-sectional areas (CSA) were measured in a transverse plane. The comparison of study and control group sho...
Source: European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Category: ENT & OMF Source Type: research