title: High-resolution secondary reconstructions with the use of flat panel CT in the clinical assessment of patients with cochlear implants.
abstract: Radiologic assessment of cochlear implants can be limited because of metallic streak artifacts and the high attenuation of the temporal bones. We report on 14 patients with 18 cochlear implants (17 Med-El standard 31.5-mm arrays, 1 Med-El medium 24-mm array) who underwent flat panel CT with the use of high-resolution secondary reconstruction techniques. Flat panel CT depicted the insertion site, cochlear implant course, and all 216 individual electrode contacts. The calculated mean angular insertion depth for standard arrays was 591.9° (SD = 70.9; range, 280°). High-resolution secondary reconstructions of the initial flat panel CT dataset, by use of a manually generated field of view, Hounsfield unit kernel type, and sharp image characteristics, provided high-quality images with improved spatial resolution. Flat panel CT is a promising imaging tool for the postoperative evaluation of cochlear implant placement.
authors.affiliation: From the Division of Interventional Neuroradiology (M.S.P.)Interventional Neuroradiology (M.S.P.), Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC msmit135@jhmi.edu.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Pearl
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (R.R., C.J.L.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (R.R., C.J.L.), Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MarylandPeabody Conservatory of Music (C.J.L.), Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Limb
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D003051:Cochlea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D003054:Cochlear Implants; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017755:Prosthesis Fitting / Q000379:methods; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014963:X-Ray Intensifying Screens