INTERACTIVE VOLUME RENDERING AND CO-REGISTRATION OF CT AND MRI OF THE TEMPORAL BONE

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the feasibility of co-registration of high resolution CT and MRI data sets of the temporal bone . High resolution CT and MRI of the temporal bone obtained in 12 patients were co-registered. The study cohort included normal temporal bone (n=5), labyrinthitis (n=1), large vestibular acqueduct (LVA) syndrome (n=4), Mondini deformity (n=2), otosclerosis (n=3). Co-registration was performed with a dedicated software (Dextroscope; Volume Interactions/Bracco) using a multipoint markers method in combination with freehand fusion. Co-registered 3D models were displayed with a stereoscopic view and volume rendered through hand tracking devices. Complete correlation between CT and MRI was observed in normal patients, in Mondini deformity and in LVA. In patients with stenosis of the semicircular canals due to labyrinthitis or otosclerosis, MRI findings did not correlate with CT in 2 cases, where CT showed normal patency of the semicircular canals but MRI demonstrated stenosis. CT - MRI co-registration in the temporal bone is feasible and shows labyrinthine pathology better than using CT or MRI alone. To demostrate the anatomy of the temporal bone combining high resolution CT and MR datasets To show the integrative role of high resolution CT and MR in the evaluation of temporal bone pathologies. (L. S. is an employee of Volume Interactions.)