A method for measuring the length of the coclea through magnetic resonance imaging

SummaryWe know that hearing impairment affects a large part of the population. In cases of profound and bilateral hearing loss, children may have problems in speech development, as well as communication and socialization. Cochlear implants have been used as a treatment option in these cases. Today, inner ear MRI is a mandatory test in the preoperative evaluation of these individuals. In our daily routines, we wonder whether MRI can provide not only qualitative, but also quantitative data, with real cochlear linear values built from three dimension images.AimsThe aim of the present investigation is to propose a method to obtain MRI cochlear length measures from the temporal bones of cadavers.Material and MethodsWe assessed three dimensional images from the cochlea of six cadavers. By overlapping digitalized rulers on these images it was possible to measure cochlear length.ResultsThese measures varied between 17 and 26.5 millimeters.ConclusionsWe have concluded that it was possible to measure cochlear length from three dimensional MRI images, by employing the method hereby proposed.