Objective: Cochlear implantation is a clinical and cost-effective treatment for severe hearing loss. Cochlear nerve size assessment by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been investigated for use as a prognostic indicator following cochlear implantation. This study aimed to further that research by assessing nerve size in normal-hearing adults for symmetry.
Materials and methods: Patients with tinnitus presenting to our center retrospectively had their nerve size assessed by MRI.
Results: The study found no significant differences between right and left cochlear nerves in normal-hearing adults, supporting our hypothesis of symmetry in these individuals. This was a previously unproven and uninvestigated hypothesis.
Conclusion: Nerve size assessment should remain an active area of research in otological disease.