Temporal bone region: high-resolution MR imaging using surface coils

Specially designed surface coils for the region of the temporal bone enable high-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the structures of the inner ear. Eight healthy volunteers and 21 patients (six with cholesteatomas, five with acoustic neuromas, five with glomus tumors, and five with mastoiditis) were examined using a 0.5-T MR imager. The demarcation of tumor extent with MR imaging was better than with computed tomography because of improved soft-tissue contrast and because the surrounding bony tissue did not generate any signal. High-resolution MR imaging is particularly useful for small acoustic neuromas because of its higher specificity compared with gas cisternography.