Nagy N. N. Naguib MSc, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Ahmed Fathy Emam MBBCh, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Nour-Eldin Abdelrehim Nour-Eldin MD, MSc, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Tatjana Gruber-Rouh, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Boris Bodelle MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Thomas Lehnert MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Renate Maria Hammerstingl MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Stefan Zangos MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Katrin Eichler MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Thomas Josef Vogl MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To assess the volume of membranous vestibular system in patients presenting with vertigo and to compare the volume with the vestibular system volume in patients with normal vestibular function using three dimensional (3D) reconstruction of the high resolution MR-Imaging sequences.

The study was retrospectively performed on 153 patients (74 females & 79 males) with a mean age of 48.9 year (standard deviation: 25.4, range: 5 month - 88 year). Of the 153 patients 61 patients presented with vertigo and 92 patients presented with other diseases of the ear and normal vestibular function. High resolution MR-Imaging was performed using a T2-weighted SPACE sequence with 0.6 mm slice thickness. 3D reconstructions were performed using Advantage Workstation for diagnostic imaging. Assessed were the volumes of the semicircular canals and the volume of vestibule. The difference between the volumes in patients with and without vertigo (normal vestibular function) was tested using the Two-Sample t-Test.

Three dimensional reconstructions were successfully performed in all patients. In patients with vertigo the mean volume of the semicircular canals was 0.258 mm3 (SD: 0.061, Range: 0.130 – 0.430 mm3) and the mean volume of the vestibule was 0.069 mm3 (SD: 0.013, Range: 0.040 – 0.110 mm3). In patients with no vertigo (normal vestibular function) the mean volume of the semicircular canals was 0.306 mm3 (SD: 0.074, Range: 0.180 – 0.550 mm3) and the mean volume of the vestibule was 0.075 mm3 (SD: 0.016, Range: 0.040 – 0.13 mm3). There was a statistically significant difference between the semicircular canal volume and the vestibular volume in patients with and without vertigo (normal vestibular function) (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0019 respectively).         

Patients presenting with vertigo show a statistically significant smaller volume of the semicircular canals and vestibule compared to patients not presenting with vestibular dysfunction or vertigo.     

A reduced volume of the membranous vestibular system might be the reason for vertigo symptomatic in patients presenting with vertigo. 

Naguib, N, Emam, A, Nour-Eldin, N, Gruber-Rouh, T, Bodelle, B, Lehnert, T, Hammerstingl, R, Zangos, S, Eichler, K, Vogl, T, Volumetric Assessment of the Membranous Vestibular System in Patients Presenting with Vertigo .  Radiological Society of North America 2013 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, December 1 - December 6, 2013 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2013/13023967.html