Imaging of the osseous, membranous, and perilymphatic labyrinths

The inner ear is located within the petrous portion of the temporal bone and consists of the membranous, perilymphatic, and the outer osseous labyrinths. Together, these structures form the end organs for mediating hearing and balance. This article provides a detailed review of the neonatal anatomy and development of these structures, knowledge of which derives in great part from advances in CT and sophisticated MR imaging. Current research should soon enable clinicians to identify a wide variety of subtle lesions of the inner ear that heretofore have been inaccessible to imaging diagnosis.