Optical coherence tomography of the cochlea in the porcine model.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS To demonstrate the feasibility of optical coherence tomography in microstructural imaging of the porcine cochlea. STUDY DESIGN Ex vivo, porcine model. METHODS Optical coherence tomographic images of the porcine cochlea were obtained by thinning the bone from the basal turn of the cochlea leaving the endosteum intact. The images were compared with the corresponding histological sections. RESULTS In the areas of thinned bone, images were obtained of the stria vascularis, Reissner's membrane, basilar membrane, tectorial membrane, scala media, scala tympani, and scala vestibuli. The bone was too thick for adequate light penetration in the areas where it was not thinned. Good histological correlation was obtained. CONCLUSIONS Cochlear and vestibular microanatomic structures of the pig cochlea were clearly identified with histological confirmation, suggesting the potential application of this noninvasive imaging modality for in vivo imaging of the human cochlea.