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Updated: May 2, 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
Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency in Ménière disease
Federica Di Berardino1, Dario Carlo Alpini2, Pietro Maria Bavera3
1Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e di Comunità, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy Audiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy federica.diberardino@unimi.it.
Objectives:
The aim of this study was to focus on patients suffering from cochleo-vestibular disorder with and without Ménière disease (MD) in order to verify whether chronic cerebrospinal drainage abnormalities could play a role in the etiopathogenesis of endolymphatic hydrops.
Methods:
Fifty-two volunteers were enrolled and subdivided into two groups: 24 definite MD and 28 not-MD. Both magnetic resonance venography imaging with contrast-enhanced imaging of the venous cerebrospinal system (MRV) and venous echo-color Doppler (ECD) were performed.
Results:
MRV showed abnormalities in 83% of MD and 57% of not-MD subjects (p < 0.001). Asymmetrical cervical venous flow, assessed by MRV, was confirmed by ECD in 62.5% of MD but in only 21.5% of not-MD subjects (p<0.001).
Conclusion:
Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency might be the anatomical background, which provides a predisposing factor for the development of endolymphatic hydrops in MD patients.
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