Applications of magnetic resonance imaging in otology.

Magnetic resonance (MR) has been employed for the study of patients with peripheral and retrolabyrinthine otologic pathology. Its usefulness has been compared with that of computed tomography (CT). CT remains at present the best study for the assessment of patients with conductive hearing loss and sensorineural hearing loss or vestibular disorders of the peripheral type. However, MR is the study of choice of retrolabyrinthine pathology occurring in the internal auditory canals, cerebellopontine cisterns, and brainstem.