Imaging of the guinea pig cochlea following round window gadolinium application.
Precise, non-invasive determination of the aetiology and site of pathology of inner ear disorders is difficult. The aim of this study was to describe an alternative method for inner ear visualization, based on local application of the paramagnetic contrast agent gadolinium. Using a 4.7 T MRI scanner, high contrast images of all four cochlear turns were obtained 3.5 h after placing gadolinium on the round window membrane. Gadolinium cleared from the cochlea within 96 h. Auditory brainstem response measurements performed on a separate group of animals showed no significant threshold shifts after the application, indicating that gadolinium is non-toxic to the guinea pig cochlea.
Center for Hearing and Communication Research, Department of Otolaryngology, Karolinska Institutet, 171 76 Stockholm, Sweden. maoli@duan@cfh.ki.se
Maoli
M
Duan
Börje
B
Bjelke
Anders
A
Fridberger
S Allen
SA
Counter
Tomas
T
Klason
Asa
A
Skjönsberg
Petra
P
Herrlin
Erik
E
Borg
Göran
G
Laurell
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D000818:Animals; D001300:Audiometry, Evoked Response / Q000379:methods; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D003051:Cochlea / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D013997:Time Factors
D005682:Gadolinium