A proof-of-concept study led by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC found that OCT imaging can measure fluid levels in the inner ear, which correlate with a patient’s degree of hearing loss. The findings have been published in Science Translational Medicine.

“These findings are exciting because hearing loss can happen very suddenly, and we often don’t know why. OCT offers a way to explore the underlying cause and potentially guide treatment,” said senior author John Oghalai, MD, professor and chair in the Caruso Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery and the Leon J. Tiber and David S. Alpert Chair in Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine.

A sudden loss of hearing, sometimes accompanied by vertigo, happens in Ménière’s disease, cochlear hydrops and other ear conditions. One hallmark of these diseases is an imbalance of fluids in the inner ear, but measuring fluid balance is a challenge. The best available technology, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), lacks the resolution needed to reliably diagnose or guide treatment.