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Post-contrast 3D-FLAIR in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss

  • Otology
  • Published:
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Our study investigated correlations between clinical characteristics, particularly hearing recovery, interval time between onset and three-dimensional fluid attenuation inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging (3D-FLAIR MRI), and the signal intensity of post-contrast 3D-FLAIR MRI in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL).

Methods

The study enrolled 100 SSNHL patients. The signal intensities and asymmetry ratios of the inner ear structures, including the cochleae, vestibules and vestibulocochlear nerve, were evaluated and calculated. The relationships between the clinical characteristics and MRI findings were assessed.

Results

After intravenous gadolinium (Gd) injection, 3D-FLAIR revealed high signal intensities in 65 patients. The corrected asymmetry ratios of cochlea correlated closely with interval time between onset and MRI. The asymmetry ratios of the inner ear structures were significantly lower in patients with final complete to partial hearing recovery. The corrected asymmetry ratios of the inner ear structures correlated with initial/final pure tone audiometry (PTA) and hearing recovery in the affected ear. Notably, it was shown that the corrected asymmetry ratios identified a poor prognosis for hearing recovery, with a sensitivity and specificity of 67.9% and 75.0% in the cochlea, 83.3% and 75.0% in the vestibule, and 52.4% and 81.2% in the vestibulocochlear nerve, respectively.

Conclusions

Post-contrast 3D-FLAIR after intravenous Gd injection in SSNHL can be used to assess the permeability of the blood–labyrinth and blood–nerve barriers. The asymmetry ratios of the inner ear structures may identify patients with poor prognosis for hearing recovery. Signal characteristics are closely related to interval time between onset and MRI.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (Grant No: 81670933 to Wuqing Wang, http://www.nsfc.gov.cn/). The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China (Grant no 81670933 to Wuqing Wang, http://www.nsfc.gov.cn/).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. NHC Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine (Fudan University), Fudan University, No. 83 Fenyang Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200031, People’s Republic of China

    Jiali Wang, Tongli Ren, Qiong Liang & Wuqing Wang

  2. Department of Otolaryngology of the Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200031, People’s Republic of China

    Jiali Wang, Tongli Ren, Qiong Liang & Wuqing Wang

  3. Department of Otolaryngology, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, 400000, People’s Republic of China

    Wenfang Sun

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  1. Jiali Wang
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Correspondence to Wuqing Wang.

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Wang, J., Ren, T., Sun, W. et al. Post-contrast 3D-FLAIR in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 276, 1291–1299 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-019-05285-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-019-05285-z

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