Evaluation of Cochlear Nerve Scale with MRI in Patients with Idiopathic Unilateral Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Year 2019, , 639 - 643, 16.12.2019

Onur Taydaş , Hakkı Caner İnan

https://doi.org/10.31832/smj.593933

Abstract

Objective:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the cochlear nerve diameter in patients
with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss and to compare the diameter of the
normal side with the hearing loss side.

Materials and Methods:
A total of 36 patients with idiopathic unilateral sensorineural hearing loss
were included in the study. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and audiogram were
performed on all the patients. Both cochlear nerve diameters were measured on
axial thin-section constructive interference in steady state (CISS) sequences.

Results:
The patients comprised 16 males and 20 females with a mean age of 52.3±13.7
years. Hearing loss was in the right ear in 11 patients, and in the left ear in
25. The average cochlear nerve diameter on the side with hearing loss was 0.13
cm while it was 0.19 cm on the normal side. There was a statistically
significant difference between the two sides (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: In patients with
unilateral sensorineural hearing loss, MRI allows the assessment of the
cochlear nerve with anatomic detail, and enables the exclusion of possible
organic pathologies. Demonstration of decreased cochlear nerve diameter in
idiopathic sensorineural hearing loss will contribute to elucidating the
etiology of this disease in the future.

Keywords

cochlear nerve, sensorineural hearing loss, magnetic resonance imaging

İdiyopatik Tek Taraflı Sensörinöral İşitme Kayıplı Hastalarda Kohlear Sinir Çapının Manyetik Rezonans Görüntüleme ile Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, tek taraflı idiyopatik sensörinöral
işitme kaybı bulunan hastalarda kohlear sinir çapını değerlendirmek ve normal
taraf ile işitme kaybı bulunan tarafın çaplarını karşılaştırmaktır.

Gereç ve Yöntem: Tek taraflı idiyopatik sensörinöral işitme kaybı bulunan
toplam 36 hasta çalışmaya dahil edildi. Tüm hastalara manyetik rezonans
görüntüleme (MRG) ve saf ses odyometrisi uygulandı. Her iki taraftaki kohlear
sinir çapları ince kesit aksiyal “constructive interference in steady state
(CISS)” sekansından ölçüldü.

Bulgular: Hastaların 16’sı erkek 20’si kadındı ve yaş ortalamaları
52.3±13.7 idi. 11 hastada sağ tarafta, 25 hastada ise sol tarafta işitme kaybı
vardı. Ortalama kohlear sinir çapı işitme kaybı olan tarafta 0,13 cm iken normal
tarafta 0,19 cm idi. İki taraf arasında anlamlı farklılık mevcuttu (p <
0.001).

Sonuç: Tek taraflı sensörinöral işitme kaybı bulunan
hastalarda MRG kohlear sinirin anatomik detaylarla incelenmesine olanak sağlar
ve olası organik patolojilerin dışlanmasına yardımcı olur. Tek taraflı
idiyopatik sensörinöral işitme kaybında kohlear sinir çapının daha az olduğunun
gösterilmesi gelecekte hastalığın etiyolojisinin aydınlatılmasına katkı
sağlayacaktır.

Keywords

kohlear sinir, sensörinöral işitme kaybı, manyetik rezonans görüntüleme

References

• 1. Schuknecht HF, Gacek MR, Cochlear pathology in presbycusis. Ann Otolaryngol. 1993; 102: 1-16.
• 2. Westerhof JP, Rademaker J, Weber BP, Becker H, Congenital malformations of the inner ear and the vestibulocochlear nerve in children with sensorineural hearing loss: evaluation with CT and MRI. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 2001; 25: 719-726.
• 3. Glastonbury CM, Davidson HC, Harnsberger HR, Butler J, Kertesz TR, Shelton C, Imaging findings of cochlear nerve deficiency. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. . 2002; 23: 635-643.
• 4. Furuta S, Ogura M, Higano S, Takahashi S, Kawase T, Reduced size of the cochlear branch of the vestibulocochlear nerve in a child with sensorineural hearing loss. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2000; 21: 328-330.
• 5. Lou J, Gong W-X, Wang G-B, Cochlear nerve diameters on multipoint measurements and effects of aging in normal-hearing children using 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2015; 79: 1077-1080.
• 6. Kang WS, Hyun SM, Lim HK, Shim BS, Cho JH, Lee KS, Normative diameters and effects of aging on the cochlear and facial nerves in normal‐hearing Korean ears using 3.0‐tesla magnetic resonance imaging. Laryngoscope. 2012; 122: 1109-1114.
• 7. Nakamichi R, Yamazaki M, Ikeda M, Isoda H, Kawai H, Sone M, Nakashima T, Naganawa S, Establishing normal diameter range of the cochlear and facial nerves with 3D-CISS at 3T. Magn Reson Med Sci. 2013; 12: 241-7.
• 8. Russo EE, Manolidis S, Morriss MC, Cochlear nerve size evaluation in children with sensorineural hearing loss by high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging. Am J Otolaryngol. 2006; 27: 166-72.
• 9. Nakano A, Arimoto Y, Matsunaga T, Cochlear nerve deficiency and associated clinical features in patients with bilateral and unilateral hearing loss. Otol Neurotol. 2013; 34: 554-8.
• 10. Sildiroglu O, Cincik H, Sonmez G, Ozturk E, Mutlu H, Gocgeldi E, Tunca Keskin A, Basekim C, Kizilkaya E, Evaluation of cochlear nerve size by magnetic resonance imaging in elderly patients with sensorineural hearing loss. Radiol Med. 2010; 115: 483-7.
• 11. Naguib NNN, Hey C, Shaaban MS, Elabd AM, Hassan HHM, Gruber-Rouh T, Kaltenbach B, Harth M, Ackermann H, Stover T, Vogl TJ, Nour-Eldin NA, Assessment of the cochlear nerve to facial nerve size ratio using MR multiplanar reconstruction of the internal auditory canal in patients presenting with acquired long-standing hearing loss. Br J Radiol. 2017; 90: 20160870.
• 12. Golub JS, Lin FR, Lustig LR, Lalwani AK, Prevalence of adult unilateral hearing loss and hearing aid use in the United States. Laryngoscope. 2018; 128: 1681-1686.
• 13. Lee JW, Bance ML, Hearing loss. Pract Neurol. 2018.
• 14. Gonçalves FG, do Amaral LLF, Constructive interference in steady state imaging in the central nervous system. Eur Neurol Rev. 2011; 6: 138-42.
• 15. Liang C, Zhang B, Wu L, Du Y, Wang X, Liu C, Yu F, The superiority of 3D-CISS sequence in displaying the cisternal segment of facial, vestibulocochlear nerves and their abnormal changes. Eur J Radiol. 2010; 74: 437-40.