Heavily T 2 -weighted 3-dimensional ‰uid-attenuated inversion recovery (hT 2 W-3D-FLAIR) technique has been reported to be more sensitive than conventional 3D-FLAIR in detecting low concentrations of gadolinium-based contrast media (GBCM) in ‰uid. We applied hT 2 W-3D-FLAIR to visualize endolymphatic hydrops of M áeni àere's disease in 3 patients 4 hours after single-dose intravenous injection of GBCM and successfully visualized endolymphatic hydrops in either the cochlea or vestibule in all patients. This technique can be implemented in a clinical setting.

For the separate visualization of endolymph, perilymph, and bone on a single image after intravenous injection of single-dose gadodiamide, we fused gray-scale inverted positive endolymph (PEI) with native positive perilymph (PPI) images, that is, we subtracted PEI from PPI. Subtraction signiˆcantly improved the contrast noise ratio between endolymph and perilymph and the subjective visibility score for endolymphatic space. The 24 patients with the suspect of M áeni àere's disease were included.

Fourteen ears with Ménière's disease showed intense Gd contrast on MRI compared with that in the 10 asymptomatic contralateral ears of patients with unilateral Ménière's disease (1.12 ± 0.36 vs 0.82 ± 0.15). The hydrops grade was correlated significantly with the contrast effect. The 14 ears with Ménière's disease had endolymphatic hydrops. Of the 10 contralateral ears of patients with unilateral Ménière's disease, 2 had endolymphatic hydrops in the cochlea and 6 had endolymphatic hydrops in the vestibule.

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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: 3D-FLAIR imaging 24 hours after intratympanic gadolinium injection (IT-method) or 4 hours after IV injection (IV-method) has been used to visualize the endolymphatic hydrops in Mé niè re disease. The purpose of this study was to compare the degree of perilymph enhancement with the 2 methods and the perilymph contrast-effect difference with the IV-method in both sides in patients with unilateral Mé niè re disease.