ROLE OF DIFFUSION WEIGHTED MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING IN EVALUATION OF CHOLESTEATOMA

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic performance of Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DWI-MRI) in the detection of cholesteatoma and assess its potential to replace second-look surgery. Methods This prospective observational study recruited 65 patients with suspected cholesteatoma and compared DWI-MRI findings with histopathological examination (considered the gold standard). HRCT temporal bone scans were also performed for comparison. Results • DWI-MRI demonstrated high sensitivity (94.23%) and specificity (100%) for cholesteatoma detection. • DWI-MRI outperformed HRCT in both primary (93.8% vs. 87.5%) and recurrent/residual cholesteatoma cases (80% vs. 25.0%). • Mean ADC values were significantly lower in cholesteatoma compared to granulation tissue and inflammatory tissue.