Computer-aided detection and quantification of endolymphatic hydrops within the mouse cochlea in vivo using optical coherence tomography.

Diseases that cause hearing loss and/or vertigo in humans such as Meniere’s disease are often studied using animal models. The volume of endolymph within the inner ear varies with these diseases. Here, we used a mouse model of increased endolymph volume, endolymphatic hydrops, to develop a computer-aided objective approach to measure endolymph volume from images collected <italic<in vivo</italic< using optical coherence tomography. The displacement of Reissner’s membrane from its normal position was measured in cochlear cross sections. We validated our computer-aided measurements with manual measurements and with trained observer labels. This approach allows for computer-aided detection of endolymphatic hydrops in mice, with test performance showing sensitivity of 91% and specificity of 87% using a running average of five measurements. These findings indicate that this approach is accurate and reliable for classifying endolymphatic hydrops and quantifying endolymph volume.