http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24770407 Longitudinal Assessment of Endolymphatic Hydrops With Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Labyrinth. Jerin C1, Krause E, Ertl-Wagner B, Gürkov R. Author information Abstract OBJECTIVE: To visualize the progression of endolymphatic hydrops in a patient with Ménière's disease. PATIENT AND METHODS: A 53-year-old patient with definite Ménière's disease underwent locally enhanced inner ear magnetic resonance imaging (LEIM) for visualizing endolymphatic hydrops. Two years later, a second magnetic resonance imaging was performed for follow-up. RESULTS: The first magnetic resonance image confirmed the presence of endolymphatic hydrops and a treatment with betahistine was begun. Two years later, no more vertigo attacks occurred. The audiometry showed a deterioration of the hearing loss on both sides, whereas the caloric irrigation revealed normal results on both occasions. In comparison to the first examination, the second LEIM showed an augmented endolymphatic hydrops in both the cochlear and the vestibular compartments. CONCLUSION: For the first time, this case of Ménière's disease shows an enlargement of endolymphatic hydrops in 1 individual in the course of 2 years. A further development of the LEIM technique is desirable to enable the volumetric quantification of endolymphatic hydrops and to monitor the effect of therapies on the course of Ménière's disease.
It appears researchers are working on using MRI to visualize hydrops. Perhaps in the future it will be easier for physicians to differentiate between MAV (migraines) and Meniere's using this technology. If the assumption is that MAV is a disorder of sensory system disturbance and not a disease of the inner ear, I would guess hydrops would not be found in true cases of vestibular migraine. Or, researchers may find that migraines cause hydrops, too. As far as methodology, it looks like gadolinium is injected through the ear drum using a needle and then the inner ear is viewed via a specific MRI: "Gadolinium hydrate diluted eightfold with saline was injected intratympanically through the tympanic membrane using a 23 G needle in nine patients with inner ear diseases. With a 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) unit, three-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (3D-FLAIR) imaging was performed." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17279053
I had an MRI with contrast and it failed to show hydrops. Im sure I have MD as is my oto. The MRI was likely a 1.5T not a 3T and they gave my contrast IV right before they scanned me and i had read that waiting for a while allows better results in contrast but they said this is how we do it. A waste of money and time. I think in Japan and Europe they are ahead of the US in this.
When I read Shouting Won't Help, the author interviewed a team of scientists who are working on a way to actually visualize the cochlea so that cochlear hydrops may one day be diagnosed definitively.