Application and Progress of CT and MRI Image Fusion Technology in the Diagnosis of Middle Ear Cholesteatoma

中耳胆脂瘤是一种常见的耳部疾病，其诊断和治疗常依赖于影像学检查。CT作为中耳胆脂瘤的首选检查方法在疾病的诊断中广泛应用，其能详细显示胆脂瘤对周围骨结构的侵犯，帮助评估胆脂瘤的大小、扩展情况和骨质破坏的程度，但在显示软组织结构时对比度较差，难以清晰识别胆脂瘤和周围软组织的关系。相比之下MRI尤其是DWI能够更好地区分胆脂瘤和其他类型的肿瘤或炎症病变，例如区分中耳胆脂瘤与胆固醇肉芽肿、炎性肉芽肿及一些液体成分。但MRI对骨性结构的成像不如CT清晰，尤其是当胆脂瘤侵犯到骨质时，MRI可能无法提供足够的解剖信息。近年来，MRI与CT融合成像技术将两种影像学方法的优势结合起来，因其在提高胆脂瘤的检测率和定位准确性方面的潜力而受到关注。研究表明，CT与MRI融合成像技术能提供更全面的影像信息。结合了CT的骨结构成像和MRI的软组织成像，该技术不仅能够准确显示胆脂瘤的侵犯范围和深度，又有良好的软组织分辨率，优于单纯CT或MRI检查，显著提高了胆脂瘤的检测率，有助于手术前的精准规划和决策，在中耳胆脂瘤的诊断和治疗中具有重要临床价值。Middle ear cholesteatoma is a common ear disease, and its diagnosis and treatment often rely on imaging techniques. CT is widely used as the primary imaging method for diagnosing middle ear cholesteatoma, as it provides detailed information about the invasion of cholesteatoma into the surrounding bone structures, helping to assess the size, extent, and degree of bone destruction. However, CT has poor contrast when imaging soft tissues, making it difficult to clearly differentiate cholesteatoma from the surrounding soft tissue. In contrast, MRI, particularly Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI), is more effective in distinguishing cholesteatoma from other types of tumors or inflammatory lesions, such as differentiating it from cholesterol granulomas, inflammatory granulomas, and certain fluid-filled lesions. However, MRI is less clear than CT in visualizing bone structures, and when cholesteatoma invades bone, MRI may not provide sufficient anatomical details. Recently, the fusion of MRI and CT imaging has gained attention for its potential to combine the strengths of both techniques, improving the detection rate and localization accuracy of cholesteatomas. Research shows that CT-MRI fusion imaging provides more comprehensive imaging information. By combining CT’s ability to image bone structures with MRI’s superior soft tissue resolution, this technique not only accurately shows the extent and depth of cholesteatoma invasion but also offers better soft tissue resolution than either CT or MRI alone. This significantly enhances cholesteatoma detection rates, aids in precise preoperative planning and decision-making, and has important clinical value in the diagnosis and treatment of middle ear cholesteatoma.