Magnetic resonance imaging in patients with sudden hearing loss, tinnitus and vertigo.

OBJECTIVE

The etiopathogenesis in audiovestibular symptoms can be elusive, despite extensive differential diagnosis. This article addresses the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in analysis of the complete audiovestibular pathway.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective evaluation.

SETTING

Tertiary referral center.

PATIENTS

Consecutive sample of 354 patients (mean age 49 years, range 8 to 86 years) with audiovestibular disorders.

INTERVENTION

Contrast-enhanced MRI of the head with thin-slice investigation of the inner ear, internal auditory meatus, and cerebellopontine angle.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

All MRIs were evaluated by experienced independent investigators. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences data analysis 9.0.

RESULTS

MRI abnormalities were seen in 122 of 354 patients (34.5%). The MRIs revealed the following: 4 pathologic conditions (1.1%) of the cochlea/labyrinth, 23 abnormalities (6.5%) at the internal auditory meatus/cerebellopontine angle, 12 pathologic lesions (3.4%) that involved the central audiovestibular tract at the brainstem, 78 microangiopathic changes of the brain (22%), 3 focal hyperintensities of the brain that turned out to be the first evidence of multiple sclerosis in 2 patients and sarcoidosis in 1 patient, and 1 temporal metastasis. Other pathologic conditions, such as parotid gland or petrous bone apex tumors, were unrelated to the audiovestibular symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

This study indicates that contrast-enhanced MRI can be used to assess a significant number of different pathologic conditions in patients with audiovestibular disorders.