Co-registration of cone beam CT and preoperative MRI for improved accuracy of electrode localization following cochlear implantation.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical usefulness and practicality of co-registration of Cone Beam CT (CBCT) with preoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for intracochlear localization of electrodes after cochlear implantation. METHODS: Images of 20 adult patients who underwent CBCT after implantation were co-registered with preoperative MRI scans. Time taken for co-registration was recorded. The images were analysed by clinicians of varying levels of expertise to determine electrode position and ease of interpretation. RESULTS: After a short learning curve, the average co-registration time was 10.78 minutes (StdDev 2.37). All clinicians found the co-registered images easier to interp..