[Value of magnetic resonance imaging associated with x-ray computed tomography in the screening of residual cholesteatoma after primary surgery].

Several recent studies have described the magnetic resonance imagery (MRI) of cholesteatomas. For certain authors the MR images are specific after Gadolinium injection. This radio-surgical study included 16 patients who underwent a tympanoplasty with supra and retromeatic masto-attictomy for a cholesteatoma and for whom a second operation was planned. Computed tomography (CT) and MRI was performed before operation in all patients with and without injection of Gadolinium. Images were then correlated with peroperative observations. Based on the CT and MRI diagnostic criteria of cholesteatoma reported in the literature, the radio-surgical correlation was false in 8 out of 16 cases (false negatives, false positives, partial errors). Among the 8 true correlations, 5 were normal images confirmed by the absence of cholesteatomy on operation. MRI with and without Gadolinium cannot be used to screen for small residual cholesteatomas or to determine the characteristics of an opacity of the middle ear seen on computed tomography.