Optical Coherence Tomography-Based Atlas of the Human Cochlear Hook Region

Advancements in intracochlear diagnostics, as well as prosthetic and regenerative innerear therapies, rely on a good understanding of cochlear microanatomy. The human cochlea is verysmall and deeply embedded within the densest skull bone, making nondestructive visualization of itsinternal microstructures extremely challenging. Current imaging techniques used in clinical practice,such as MRI and CT, fall short in their resolution to visualize important intracochlear landmarks, andhistological analysis of the cochlea cannot be performed on living patients without compromisingtheir hearing. Recently, optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been shown to be a promisingtool for nondestructive micrometer resolution imaging of the mammalian inner ear. Various studiesperformed on human cadaveric tissue and living animals demonstrated the ability of OCT to visualizeimportant cochlear microstructures (scalae, organ of Corti, spiral ligament, and osseous spiral lamina)at micrometer resolution. However, the interpretation of human intracochlear OCT images is non-trivial for researchers and clinicians who are not yet familiar with this novel technology. In thisstudy, we present an atlas of intracochlear OCT images, which were acquired in a series of 7 freshand 10 fresh-frozen human cadaveric cochleae through the round window membrane and describethe qualitative characteristics of visualized intracochlear structures. Likewise, we describe severalintracochlear abnormalities, which could be detected with OCT and are relevant for clinical practice.

Publication year:2022

Accessibility:Open