Non-echo planar diffusion-weighted MRI increases follow-up accuracy after one-step step canal wall-down obliteration surgery for cholesteatoma

• Conclusion: Non-echo planar (non-EPI) diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) increases the number of detected cholesteatoma after one-step canal-wall down (CWD) obliteration surgery for cholesteatoma compared with clinical evaluation alone.Objective: To evaluate the use of DW-MRI for detection of cholesteatoma after surgical treatment using CWD obliteration technique.Methods: Thirty-eight adult patients (41 ears) treated with identical one-step canal-wall down obliteration surgical technique were included in a prospective and blinded study. All patients were investigated with non-EPI and EPI DW-MRI 1-9 months after the clinical examination. Follow-up time after primary surgery varied between 10 and 234 months. DW-MRI were assessed by two neuroradiologists and compared with clinical results. Inter-rater agreement was calculated. Positive non-EPI DW-MRI cases underwent revision surgery within 18-159 days after imaging.Results: Out of 41 cases seven were evaluated as positive for cholesteatoma on non-EPI DW-MRI. Since one patient refused surgery six of these seven cases underwent surgical revision and all were verified. There was agreement between clinical and non-EPI findings in five of eight cases. EPI findings correlated poorly with non-EPI and clinical findings. Inter-rater agreement (Cohen´s kappa) was 0.91 for non-EPIDW-MRI (p<0.001) and -0.062 for EPI DW-MRI (p=0.43) 

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Neurologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Neurology (hsv//eng)

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ref (subject category)

art (subject category)