[The facial nerve in the petrous bone in thin-layer paratransverse and sagittal magnetic-resonance-tomographic T1-spin-echo and FLASH images].
OBJECTIVE
It is difficult to effect visualization and delineation of the facial nerve and its neighbouring structures in the temporal bone with conventional MRI examination protocols. We tested temporal bone MRI with 2 mm slices and compared T1-weighted FLASH (TR = 400 ms, TE = 10 ms, 90 degrees flip angle) and spin-echo (TR = 540 ms, TE = 15 ms) sequences.


METHODS
5 volunteers and 14 patients were examined with the head coil of a 1.0T whole body MRI scanner (Impact, Siemens, Erlangen) with para-transversal images orientated parallel to the inferior outline of the clivus and sagittal images orientated along the brainstem.


RESULTS
The facial nerve and its neighbouring structures could be reliably visualized and differentiated along its entire course. The FLASH sequence was superior to the spin-echo sequence. 8 of 11 patients with peripheral facial nerve palsy showed contrast enhancement. In two patients, local swelling of the affected facial nerve was evident.


CONCLUSIONS
The MRI technique tested here seems promising for temporal bone examinations.
Müller-Lisse
U
U
Institut für Diagnostische Radiologie, Universität München.
Jäger
L J
LJ
Brügel
F J
FJ
Grevers
G
G
Reiser
M F
MF
D000328:Adult; D001306:Auditory Pathways; D003287:Contrast Media; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005158:Facial Paralysis / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D010579:Petrous Bone / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012016:Reference Values; D000159:Vestibulocochlear Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology
D003287:Contrast Media; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D005682:Gadolinium; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA
Der Nervus facialis im Felsenbein in dünnschichtigen paratransversalen und sagittalen magnetresonanz-tomographischen T1-Spin-Echo- und FLASH-Aufnahmen.