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Updated: Jul 16, 2026

In Vivo Morphometric Analysis of Human Cranial Nerves Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Menière's Disease Ears and Normal Hearing Ears
Published on: February 21, 2018
Inner ear fluid volumes and the resolving power of magnetic resonance imaging: can it differentiate endolymphatic
R A Buckingham1, G E Valvassori
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Resurrection Hospital, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Abstract:
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can accurately recognize minute volumes as small as 1 mm3. The volumes of the utricle and saccule of the inner ear are within the resolving power of MRI, but these structures cannot be recognized because the endolymph and perilymph signals are identical. To clarify the interpretation and description of inner ear structures on MRI, we measured and calculated the volumes of the perilymphatic and endolymphatic spaces of the human ear. We found the total volume of the bony labyrinth to be approximately 192.5 mm3 (endolymph, 34.0 mm3; perilymph, 158.5 mm3).
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