Optical coherence tomography (OCT), a tool routinely used to diagnose and plan treatment for eye diseases, has now been modified to collect images of the inner ear. A proof-of-concept study led by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC found that OCT imaging can measure fluid levels in the inner ear, which correlate with a patient's degree of hearing loss. The findings were just published in
Science Translational Medicine.
These findings are exciting because hearing loss can happen very suddenly, and we often don't know why. OCT offers a way to explore the underlying cause and potentially guide treatment."
John Oghalai, MD, senior author, professor and chair in the Caruso Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and the Leon J. Tiber and David S. Alpert Chair in Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine
A sudden loss of hearing, sometimes accompanied by vertigo, happens in Ménière's disease, cochlear hydrops and other ear conditions. One hallmark of these diseases is an imbalance of fluids in the inner ear, but measuring fluid balance is a challenge. The best available technology, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), lacks the resolution needed to reliably diagnose or guide treatment.
OCT offers a quicker, more accurate and less expensive way to see inner ear fluids, hair cells and other structures relevant to diagnosing and treating hearing loss. With funding from USC and the National Institutes of Health, Oghalai, Brian Applegate, PhD, professor of otolaryngology – head and neck surgery, and ophthalmology at the medical school and of biomedical engineering and electrical and computer engineering at USC Viterbi School of Engineering, and their team tested the new tool in 19 patients undergoing ear surgery for various conditions. They found that OCT could reliably detect fluid imbalance in the inner ear, which was correlated with the severity of a patient's hearing loss. Although the tool is currently limited to use during surgery, the researchers are working to adapt it for application in the clinic.
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