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Updated: Nov 20, 2025

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
The relationship between cochleovestibular function tests and endolymphatic hydrops grading on MRI in patients with
Morgana Sluydts1,2, Anja Bernaerts3, Jan W Casselman3,4
1European Institute for ORL-HNS, Sint-Augustinus, GZA Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium. morgana.sluydts@gza.be.
Purpose:
In this retrospective study the relationship between cochleovestibular function and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI-) based classification system of endolymphatic hydrops was investigated.
Methods:
Seventy-eight patients with unilateral definite Menière's disease who underwent MRI were included. The parameters of Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA), caloric irrigation test, cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials, and video Head Impulse Test were compared between the grades of endolymphatic hydrops (EH) and perilymphatic enhancement (PE) on MRI.
Results:
The low-frequency PTA was significantly different between cochlear EH grades I and II (p = 0.036; Grade I: mean (Standard Deviation, SD) = 51 decibel Hearing Level (dB HL) (18 dB HL); Grade II: mean (SD) = 60 dB HL (16 dB HL)), and vestibular EH grades 0 and III (p = 0.018; Grade 0: mean (SD) = 43 dB HL (21 dB HL); Grade III: mean = 60 dB HL (10 dB HL)). The ipsilateral caloric sum of ears with vestibular EH grade I (n = 6) was increased with regards to vestibular EH grades 0 (p = 0.001), II (p < 0.001), and III (p < 0.001) (Grade 0: mean (SD) = 24°/s (15°/s); Grade I: mean (SD) = 47°/s (11°/s); Grade II: mean (SD) = 21°/s (13°/s); Grade III: mean (SD) = 16°/s (8°/s)).
Conclusion:
According to these results we can conclude that only the highest grades of cochlear and vestibular EH seem to be associated with decreased cochleovestibular functioning.
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