Purpose: To obtain high-resolution MR images of the inner ear at 1.5 Tesla with a local gradient coil and to correlate these images with the histological specimen.
Materials and methods: All studies were performed on a 1.5 Tesla MR unit with a local gradient coil (23 mT/m, slew rate of 107 mT/m/ms). The cranio-facial region of a cadaver was examined using 3D-fast spin echo (FSE) imaging with the voxel size of 0.27 mm x 0.27 mm x 0.5 mm in 9 h 37 min. Two normal volunteers were examined with the same system using 3D-FSE imaging with the voxel size of 0.20 mm x 0.26 mm x 1.0 mm in 57 min. These images were correlated with the cadaver images and histological specimens.
Results: On cadaver images, internal structures such as the macula utriculi, macula sacculi, crista ampullaris, lamina spiralis ossea, ligamentum spirale cochleae, modiolus, scala tympani, scala vestibuli, and cochlear aqueduct were visualized. On the images of both volunteers, the same structures were visualized as on the cadaver images.
Conclusions: This study confirmed that high-resolution MR images obtained at 1.5 Tesla can visualize inner ear internal anatomy. Knowledge obtained in this study may be of significant value for the diagnosis of pathology in the area of the inner ear.