A 3-hour time interval may not be sufficient for delayed enhancement magnetic resonance imaging with intravenous gadoteridol injection based on 3d-real IR sequence of the inner ear in Meniere's disease patient

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be applied to visualize endolymphatic hydrops (EH). Aims/Objectives: To explore whether a 3-h time interval was feasible for clinical practice. Materials and methods: We prospectively enrolled 15 patients with unilateral Meniere's disease, each of whom underwent delayed enhancement MRI scan of the inner ear after intravenous gadoteridol injection at a 3-h interval. The ears of these patients were divided into two groups (group A: the affected ears; group B: the unaffected ears). Among the two groups, the signal intensity in perilymphatic area of the basal turn of cochlea, the results of visual evaluations in the vestibule, cochlea and semicircular canal and the detection results of EH were compared. Results: Regarding the signal intensity, a difference was found between group A and group B (p = .016). Besides, no difference was found between the visual evaluations in the vestibule, cochlea and semicircular canal of the two groups. Regarding the detection results of EH, group A (6 vestibules were undiagnosable; 8 cochleae were undiagnosable); group B (9 vestibules were undiagnosable; 10 cochleae were undiagnosable). Conclusions and significance: In the clinical application of gadoteridol for the inner ear, 3-h delayed MR imaging may not be sufficient.