Endolymphatic hydrops evaluation on MRI: Practical considerations

Four-hour delayed three-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (3D-FLAIR) sequence after intravenous gadolinium-based contrast agent administration is an optimal magnetic resonance imaging technique to evaluate endolymphatic hydrops in patients with known or suspected Ménière's disease. Nonenhanced endolymphatic space surrounded by enhanced perilymphatic space is evaluated in the cochlea and vestibule separately. In cochlear hydrops, the scala media is enlarged, potentially obliterating the scala vestibuli. In vestibular hydrops, the size of the saccule becomes equal to or larger than that of the utricle; as hydrops progresses, the saccule and utricle become larger and confluent until complete obliteration of the vestibule's perilymphatic space. In patients with a unilateral clinical presentation of Ménière's disease, it is possible to depict the asymmetries of perilymph enhancement, which may be increased on the affected side and reflect a permeability alteration of the blood-perilymph barrier. In addition, endolymphatic hydrops can be observed in the asymptomatic ear of these patients with a unilateral clinical presentation, showing that Ménière's disease tends to undergo bilateral evolution over time.