PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Conte, G.
AU  - Casale, S.
AU  - Caschera, L.
AU  - Lo Russo, F.M.
AU  - Paolella, C.
AU  - Cinnante, C.
AU  - Berardino, F. Di
AU  - Zanetti, D.
AU  - Stocchetti, D.
AU  - Scola, E.
AU  - Bassi, L.
AU  - Triulzi, F.
TI  - Assessment of the Membranous Labyrinth in Infants Using a Heavily T2-weighted 3D FLAIR Sequence without Contrast Agent Administration
AID  - 10.3174/ajnr.A6876
DP  - 2021 Feb 01
TA  - American Journal of Neuroradiology
PG  - 377--381
VI  - 42
IP  - 2
4099  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/42/2/377.short
4100  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/42/2/377.full
SO  - Am. J. Neuroradiol.2021 Feb 01; 42
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Imaging is fundamental to assessing the acoustic pathway in infants with congenital deafness. We describe our depiction of the membranous labyrinth in infants using the heavily T2-weighted 3D FLAIR sequence without a contrast agent.MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 10 infants (20 ears) (median term equivalent age: 2 weeks; IQR: 1–5 weeks) who had undergone brain MR imaging including a noncontrast heavily T2-weighted 3D FLAIR scan of the temporal bone. For each ear, 3 observers analyzed, in consensus, the saccule, the utricle, and the 3 ampullae, assessing the visibility (score 0, not appreciable; score 1, visible without well-defined boundaries; score 2, visible with well-defined boundaries) and morphology (“expected” or “unexpected” compared with adults). The heavily T2-weighted 3D FLAIR sequence was scored for overall quality (score 0, inadequate; score 1, adequate but with the presence of image degradation; score 2, adequate).RESULTS: Six (60%) MR examinations were considered adequate (score 1 or 2). The saccule was visible in 10 ears (83.3%) with an expected morphology in 9 ears (90%). In 1 ear of an infant with congenital deafness, the saccule showed an unexpected morphology. The utricle was visible as expected in 12 ears (100%). The lateral ampulla was visible in 5 ears (41.6%), the superior ampulla was visible in 6 ears (50.0%), and the posterior ampulla was visible in 6 ears (50.0%), always with expected morphology (100%).CONCLUSIONS: MR imaging can depict the membranous labyrinth in infants using heavily T2-weighted 3D FLAIR without an injected contrast agent, but the sequence acquisition time reduces its feasibility in infants undergoing MR studies during natural sleep.HT2Wheavily T2-weighted