Patients with spinal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks frequently experience audiovestibular symptoms. While gadolinium-enhanced MRI has been used to detect inner ear abnormalities, no reports have described findings on non-contrast MRI....
When 3D FLAIR MRI shows inner ear high signal in CSF leak patients, audiologists should be aware this may correlate with audiovestibular symptoms; however, this retrospective study is hypothesis-generating and does not yet justify a change in audiological testing protocols.
Understanding the MRI signature of inner ear involvement in CSF leaks could help audiologists and neuroradiologists better identify patients whose hearing and balance symptoms have an intracranial structural cause.
- 01Inner ear high signal on non-contrast 3D FLAIR MRI was identified in patients with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks.
- 02The signal was associated with dural/subdural changes on imaging.
- 03Audiovestibular symptoms (hearing loss and balance disturbance) correlated with the imaging findings.
- 04Study design is retrospective, limiting causal inference.
- 05Findings suggest MRI may serve as a non-invasive marker of inner ear involvement in CSF leak patients.
Inner ear high signal on non-contrast 3D FLAIR MRI is associated with dural/subdural changes in CSF leak patients.
studypartially supportedInner ear high signal on 3D FLAIR MRI correlates with audiovestibular symptoms in CSF leak patients.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42111544
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.ejro.2026.100758.
- Journal
- European Journal of Radiology Open
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 4
- Population
- Patients with cerebrospinal fluid leaks undergoing non-contrast 3D FLAIR MRI
- Intervention
- Non-contrast 3D FLAIR MRI assessment of inner ear signal
Primary outcomes
Association between inner ear high signal and dural/subdural changes; Correlation of inner ear high signal with audiovestibular symptoms