Estimation of Perilymph Enhancement after Intratympanic Administration of Gd-DTPA by Fast T₁-mapping with a Dual Flip Angle 3D Spoiled Gradient Echo Sequence

Abstract

Eleven patients with suspected Ménière's disease received intratympanic (IT) administration of gadolinium (gadopentetate dimeglumine; Gd) prior to acquisition of 3-dimensional (3D) fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), 3D real inversion recovery (IR), and fast T₁ mapping by dual flip angle 3D gradient echo (FT₁-map) imaging sequences to evaluate the degree of perilymph enhancement. Though 3-dimensional FLAIR could detect lower concentrations of gadolinium than 3D real IR, in 2 patients, poor enhancement still prevented visualization of the endolymphatic space using 3D FLAIR. We could predict poor contrast enhancement in these 2 patients using the FT₁-map technique.