7-Tesla sodium magnetic resonance imaging of the inner ears in Ménière’s Disease

<p dir="ltr">The endolymphatic space (ES) undergoes hydropic expansion in Ménière’s Disease (MD). It Is hypothesised that the lower sodium (²³Na) concentration in the endolymph relative to the surrounding perilymph would result in a differential reduction in ²³Na-MRI signal in inner ears with endolymphatic hydrops (EH). We explored the ability of 7-Tesla (7T) ²³Na-MRI to lateralise EH ears in unilateral MD. We imaged four patients with unilateral definite MD and severe vestibulo-cochlear EH with an optimised 7T ²³Na sequence . We analysed before and after registering to 3D T2w MRI to qualitatively and quantitatively determine asymmetry and certainty of EH laterality.</p><p dir="ltr">The uploaded files include </p><p dir="ltr">1)7T ²³Na SSFP images (.nii and .nrrd) reconstructed at single frequencies which are optimised to minimise blurring of the inner ears (3/4 include two different frequencies chosen to best demonstrate the two ears individually whereas the same frequency was chosen for both ears in subject A)</p><p dir="ltr">2)T2W 3D SPACE structural images (.nrrd) which were used for fusion and registration with the 7T ²³Na SSFP images.</p><p dir="ltr"><br></p>