To examine MRI correlations between endolymphatic hydrops (EH) severity and migraine brain biomarkers.
Approach:
Study Design: Retrospective review of 144 inner ear MRI scans, yielding 108 patients with confirmed EH.
Assessment Method: Two blinded radiologists graded EH and assessed migraine markers, followed by binary logistic regression to test associations.
Key Findings:
Mean age of participants was 53.6 ± 15.8 years, with 56.5% being female.
Grade 2 vestibular EH was most common bilaterally; grade 2 cochlear EH affected 34–43%.
No significant associations were found between EH and migraine biomarkers (white matter lesions, frontal predominance of white matter lesions, enlarged perivascular spaces) or cranial nerve volumes (all p > 0.05).
Left vestibular EH grade 1 was linked to sudden hearing loss (OR 5.205, p = 0.018).
Left cochlear EH grade 1 was associated with aural fullness (OR 5.019, p = 0.016).
Interpretation:
EH severity was not associated with established migraine MRI biomarkers in this cohort.
Limitations:
The study was retrospective and may have inherent biases.
The sample size, while significant, may not be representative of all populations.
Conclusion:
The findings indicate a lack of correlation between EH severity and migraine biomarkers.
