Estimation of perilymph enhancement after intratympanic administration of Gd-DTPA by fast T1-mapping with a dual flip angle 3D spoiled gradient echo sequence

Eleven patients with suspected Meniere'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. (author)