MRI Ear

Do you suffer from dizziness, hearing loss or phantom noises? These are also known as tinnitus or "ringing in the ears". A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the ear at ARISTRA can help to find or rule out the causes of your symptoms.
Table of contents
Primary Item (H2)

When should you go for an ear MRI?

MRT Ohr bei ARISTRA Illustration
  • Obstruction of the ear canal, e.g. by earwax (cerumen) or a foreign body
    malformations of the auditory canal
  • Benign or malignant tumours in the ear canal or middle ear
  • Benign or malignant internal tumours (e.g. acoustic neuroma/ vestibular schwannoma)
    injuries
  • Bone growths (frequently occur in swimmers, for example)
  • Ventilation disorder and fluid accumulation in the middle ear (tympanic effusion)
  • Acute or chronic otitis media
  • Inflammation of the air-filled spaces in the middle ear (mastoiditis)
  • Adhesions of the auditory ossicles (otosclerosis) - usually, the stirrup is fused with the bone
  • Breakthrough (perforation) of the eardrum
  • fractures of the skull base
  • Crack in the oval window
  • Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis)
  • noise damage
  • Ménière's disease (Ménière's disease)
  • Poisoning (toxic sensorineural hearing loss)
  • concussion
  • Nerve injuries (e.g. after skull injuries)
  • Inflammation of the meninges (meningitis)
  • Malfunction in the connection between the hair cell in the inner ear and the auditory nerve (auditory neuropathy)
  • after a stroke
Experts Ear Nose Throat
Prof. Dr. med. Lorenz Jäger
Prof. Dr. med. Lorenz Jäger

Specialist in diagnostic radiology
Expert for oncological and ENT radiology
Prof. Dr. med. Lorenz Jäger is an expert in ENT radiology, neuroradiology, musculoskeletal radiology and oncological radiology and completed his specialist training at the LMU in Munich. He has held two visiting professorships since 2018.
Prof. Dr. med. Lorenz Jäger is an ENT, neuro-, musculoskeletal and oncological radiology expert. He has held two visiting professorships since 2018.
Prof. Shinji Naganawa
Prof. Shinji Naganawa

Certified radiology specialist
Expert for inner ear imaging
Prof. Shinji Naganawa is a pioneer in inner ear imaging. He has researched the optimization of MR protocols for detecting internal ear pathologies for over 25 years. He is clinically active as Director of the Department of Radiology at Nagoya University Hospital, Japan.
Prof. Shinji Naganawa is a pioneer in inner ear imaging. He has researched the optimisation of MR protocols for internal ear pathologies for over 25 years.
Prof. Dr. med. Philipp Bäumer
Prof. Dr. med. Philipp Bäumer

Certified specialist for radiology and neuroradiology
Expert for Neuroradiology
Prof. Dr. med. Philipp Bäumer is a specialist in radiology with an additional specialisation in neuroradiology. He completed his habilitation in neuroradiology at the University of Heidelberg, where he acquired great expertise in the imaging of peripheral nerves over many years.
Prof. Dr. med. Philipp Bäumer is a specialist in radiology with an additional qualification in neuroradiology. He is an expert in the imaging of peripheral nerves.
Dr. med. Andreas Kasperczyk
Dr. med. Andreas Kasperczyk

Certified radiology specialist
Expert for temporomandibular joints and MR mammography
Dr. med. Andreas Kasperczyk is a radiology specialist and expert in musculoskeletal radiology, of the temporomandibular joints (CMD) and MR mammography. As head of his own practice, he gathered years of experience in the field of temporomandibular joint diagnostics, which he now successfully uses for ARISTRA.
Dr. med. Andreas Kasperczyk is a specialist in radiology and an expert in musculoskeletal radiology, of the temporomandibular joints (CMD) and MR mammography.
PD Dr. med. Johann-Martin Hempel
PD Dr. med. Johann-Martin Hempel

Certified radiology specialist
Expert in neuroradiology and head and neck radiology
PD Dr. med. Johann-Martin Hempel is an expert in neuroradiology and head and neck radiology. He practised for many years at the University Hospital of the Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen, where he completed his habilitation.
PD Dr. med. Johann-Martin Hempel is an expert in neuroradiology and head and neck radiology. He practised at the University Hospital in Tübingen for many years.
PD Dr. med. Yasemin Tanyildizi
PD Dr. med. Yasemin Tanyildizi

Certified radiology specialist
Expert for Neuroradiology
PD Dr. med. Yasemin Tanyildizi is a certified specialist in radiology. She is an expert in neuroradiology and did research and habilitation at the University Medical Centre Mainz for many years. She has also completed numerous stays abroad, including in Australia and Turkey. She is the author of significant international scientific publications.
PD Dr. med. Yasemin Tanyildizi is a certified specialist in radiology and an expert in neuroradiology. She researched at the University Medical Centre Mainz.
Dr. med. Kira Lutz
Dr. med. Kira Lutz

Certified radiology specialist
Expert for Neuroradiology
Dr. med. Kira Lutz has a medical specialization in radiology with a focus on neuroradiology. She has worked and researched at Heidelberg University Hospital and Freiburg University Hospital.
Dr. med. Kira Lutz has a medical specialization in radiology with a focus on neuroradiology. She researched at the Heidelberg University Hospital and in Freiburg.
Dr. med. Yvonne Böckenfeld
Dr. med. Yvonne Böckenfeld

Certified specialist for ear, nose, and throat medicine
Expert for ENT
Dr. med. Yvonne Böckenfeld is a certified specialist in ear, nose, and throat medicine in Karlsruhe, Germany.
Dr. med. Yvonne Böckenfeld is a certified specialist in ear, nose, and throat medicine in Karlsruhe, Germany.
Dr. med. Kira Lutz
Dr. med. Kira Lutz

Certified radiology specialist
Expert for Neuroradiology
Dr. med. Kira Lutz has a medical specialization in radiology with a focus on neuroradiology. She has worked and researched at Heidelberg University Hospital and Freiburg University Hospital.
Dr. med. Kira Lutz has a medical specialization in radiology with a focus on neuroradiology. She researched at the Heidelberg University Hospital and in Freiburg.
Prof. Dr. med. Philipp Bäumer
Prof. Dr. med. Philipp Bäumer

Certified specialist for radiology and neuroradiology
Expert for Neuroradiology
Prof. Dr. med. Philipp Bäumer is a specialist in radiology with an additional specialisation in neuroradiology. He completed his habilitation in neuroradiology at the University of Heidelberg, where he acquired great expertise in the imaging of peripheral nerves over many years.
Prof. Dr. med. Philipp Bäumer is a specialist in radiology with an additional qualification in neuroradiology. He is an expert in the imaging of peripheral nerves.
Dr. med. Andreas Kasperczyk
Dr. med. Andreas Kasperczyk

Certified radiology specialist
Expert for temporomandibular joints and MR mammography
Dr. med. Andreas Kasperczyk is a radiology specialist and expert in musculoskeletal radiology, of the temporomandibular joints (CMD) and MR mammography. As head of his own practice, he gathered years of experience in the field of temporomandibular joint diagnostics, which he now successfully uses for ARISTRA.
Dr. med. Andreas Kasperczyk is a specialist in radiology and an expert in musculoskeletal radiology, of the temporomandibular joints (CMD) and MR mammography.
Prof. Dr. med. Lorenz Jäger
Prof. Dr. med. Lorenz Jäger

Specialist in diagnostic radiology
Expert for oncological and ENT radiology
Prof. Dr. med. Lorenz Jäger is an expert in ENT radiology, neuroradiology, musculoskeletal radiology and oncological radiology and completed his specialist training at the LMU in Munich. He has held two visiting professorships since 2018.
Prof. Dr. med. Lorenz Jäger is an ENT, neuro-, musculoskeletal and oncological radiology expert. He has held two visiting professorships since 2018.
PD Dr. med. Yasemin Tanyildizi
PD Dr. med. Yasemin Tanyildizi

Certified radiology specialist
Expert for Neuroradiology
PD Dr. med. Yasemin Tanyildizi is a certified specialist in radiology. She is an expert in neuroradiology and did research and habilitation at the University Medical Centre Mainz for many years. She has also completed numerous stays abroad, including in Australia and Turkey. She is the author of significant international scientific publications.
PD Dr. med. Yasemin Tanyildizi is a certified specialist in radiology and an expert in neuroradiology. She researched at the University Medical Centre Mainz.
Dr. med. Yvonne Böckenfeld
Dr. med. Yvonne Böckenfeld

Certified specialist for ear, nose, and throat medicine
Expert for ENT
Dr. med. Yvonne Böckenfeld is a certified specialist in ear, nose, and throat medicine in Karlsruhe, Germany.
Dr. med. Yvonne Böckenfeld is a certified specialist in ear, nose, and throat medicine in Karlsruhe, Germany.
Prof. Shinji Naganawa
Prof. Shinji Naganawa

Certified radiology specialist
Expert for inner ear imaging
Prof. Shinji Naganawa is a pioneer in inner ear imaging. He has researched the optimization of MR protocols for detecting internal ear pathologies for over 25 years. He is clinically active as Director of the Department of Radiology at Nagoya University Hospital, Japan.
Prof. Shinji Naganawa is a pioneer in inner ear imaging. He has researched the optimisation of MR protocols for internal ear pathologies for over 25 years.
PD Dr. med. Johann-Martin Hempel
PD Dr. med. Johann-Martin Hempel

Certified radiology specialist
Expert in neuroradiology and head and neck radiology
PD Dr. med. Johann-Martin Hempel is an expert in neuroradiology and head and neck radiology. He practised for many years at the University Hospital of the Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen, where he completed his habilitation.
PD Dr. med. Johann-Martin Hempel is an expert in neuroradiology and head and neck radiology. He practised at the University Hospital in Tübingen for many years.
Symptoms such as dizziness (vertigo), hearing loss or hearing disorders, and phantom noises such as tinnitus (“ringing in the ears”) can have various causes.
There are three groups of hearing disorders:
Conductive hearing loss, sensorineural hearing loss, and sensorineural hearing loss. These hearing disorders can also exist in combination.

In conductive hearing loss, the sound waves reach the inner ear in a weakened form. The actual cause of this can lie in the ear canal, for example, if it is blocked or malformed. It can also be located in the middle ear, for instance, in the context of inflammation.

In the case of sensorineural hearing loss, the eardrum and the ossicular chain initially conduct the sound waves correctly. However, the transmission and processing signals in the inner ear are disturbed.

If a hearing loss in the brain causes a hearing loss, it is called sensorineural hearing loss. In the typical case, incoming acoustic signals are differentiated and linked with a corresponding meaning. In sensorineural hearing loss, signals are processed incorrectly in the brain, even though the auditory nerve transmits them correctly. The consequence is that the patient hears the tones but cannot interpret them meaningfully. This hearing loss can happen, for example, after a stroke.

The MRI scan of the ear visualizes the inner ear and surrounding structures, the auditory and vestibular nerves, and the brain. The examination is performed in the supine position and takes about 45 minutes.

For example, growths on the nerve tract that connects the ear to the brain can be detected. These growths - the so-called vestibular schwannoma or acoustic neuroma - are benign (non-cancerous) swellings along the auditory and vestibular nerves.
Furthermore, various diseases such as infections, adhesions, and irritation of the auditory and vestibular nerves caused by vessels or injuries can be visible.

MRI with Meniere's disease

A unique feature of the MRI at ARISTRA is that it can detect Menière's disease (Morbus Menière). Morbus Menière is a disorder of the inner ear characterized by bouts of dizziness, hearing loss, and ringing in the ears. To be able to identify the sometimes only subtle changes that lead to the symptoms, an MRI, according to the latest scientific knowledge, is necessary.

The MRI examinations of the ear at ARISTRA are continuously being further developed in cooperation with internationally recognized experts in ENT imaging. Among them is Prof. Dr. med. Shinji Naganawa. He is one of the pioneers of MRI imaging of the ear. The recordings can be made on-site using the latest technology and scientific knowledge. Our ENT experts will evaluate your recordings.

MRI Ear » At a glance

The ARISTRA specialists look forward to welcoming you on-site. A pleasant atmosphere, short waiting times and personal medical care during the examination await you in the modern practice rooms.
Duration and price
approx. 40 minutes
Upon request*
Examination
Radiation-free
Quick appointment
* Prices depend on the individual case. Furthermore, we must consider your insurance status and whether you are a national or international customer. In most locations in Germany, we can only work with patients who have private insurance or are self-paying.

MRI Ear Images

MRI scan of the ear for vertigo
Special MRI image showing endolymph prolapse, enabling the diagnosis of Meniere's disease.
MRI scan of the ear for vertigo
Special MRI image showing endolymph prolapse, enabling the diagnosis of Meniere's disease.
MRI scan of the ear for vertigo
Special MRI image showing endolymph prolapse, enabling the diagnosis of Meniere's disease.
MRI scan of the ear for vertigo
Special MRI image showing endolymph prolapse, enabling the diagnosis of Meniere's disease.
We offer this examination at the following locations:
Book your appointment with ARISTRA

Make an MRI appointment

We can usually offer you an appointment for an MRI examination at short notice. You can request your preferred appointment via this form.
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