Imaging and anatomy for cochlear implants.

At a minimum, successful cochlear implantation requires that electrical impulses be delivered to a surviving spiral ganglion cell population, and that these impulses be transmitted to a functioning auditory cortex by an existent neural connection. Accordingly, imaging the auditory pathway of the implant candidate is necessary to screen for morphologic conditions that will preclude or complicate the implantation process. In addition to radiography, increasing resolution of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging technology has provided the clinician with more detailed information about the integrity of the auditory pathway.