Normal MRI of inner ear and internal auditory canal

Normal MRI of inner ear and internal auditory canal

Normal MRI of inner ear and internal auditory canal


Introduction

This anatomical module of e-Anatomy is dedicated to the anatomy of the inner ear (cochlea, bony and membranous labyrinth) and the normal MRI appearance of the facial and vestibulocochlear nerves in the internal acoustic meatus on high resolution T2 images of the posterior fossa.
This neuroanatomy atlas of cerebellopontine angle and temporal bone has been designed to help radiologists in their daily practice (MRI of vestibular schwannoma, hearing loss, audiovestibular syndromes…) with annotated MR reconstructions in the essential planes (axial and two oblique-sagittal planes), spatial orientation and color-text legend.
 

Material and methods

A T2 3D CISS (constructive interference in steady state) sequence of the inner ear has been performed on a healthy 35 year old female patient on a 1.5T Siemens Magnetom Sola by Antoine Micheau M.D. (Radiologist, Montpellier – France). 
Forty four images of the posterior fossa were obtained, with 0.6 mm thickness.
MRI images were post-treated with Horos to obtain MPR reconstructions in two different oblique-sagittal planes (a series perpendicular to the internal auditory canal and a series in the axis of the anterior semicircular canal).
The images were then cropped to focus on the right temporal bone and cerebellopontine angle.
The 3D images of the inner ear (cochlea, semicircular canals and vestibule) and the facial and vestibulocochlear nerves were created using the MRI native images on VG Studio Max by the Dr. Samuel Merigeaud (Tridilogy - Montpellier, France).
The anatomical labeling has been performed by Antoine Micheau M.D. (Radiologist, Montpellier – France), using the Terminologia Anatomica 2 and the Terminologia Neuroanatomica.
The authors would like to thank Sophie Menjot de Champfleur M.D. (Neuroradiologist, ENT imaging specialist, Montpellier – France) for her help and medical advice, essential for the creation of this module.
 

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