Abstract: Acoustic neuroma is one of the most common intracranial tumors. The complex spatial adjacency between the tumor and the nerves and vessels is the focus of preoperative assessment and also a major difficulty in the teaching of diagnostic medical imaging. An online learning WeChat quizzes applet were developed for this study. The MR images of neuroma patients were converted and implanted into the applet based on 3D virtual image reconstruction technology. From March 2021 to June 2022, it was used in the teaching of diagnostic medical imaging for eight fourth-year undergraduate students majored in medical imaging technology at Tianjin Medical University. The time spent for the students to learn the adjacency of the acoustic neuroma on 2D planar thin-slice images, 3D virtual pictures and 3D virtual videos, the level of understanding satisfaction with the spatial adjacency and the accuracy were compared to evaluate the teaching effectiveness. The Kruskal-Wallis H test was performed on the data and Bonferroni correction was used for pairwise comparison. The students′ learning time for 3D virtual videos, 3D virtual pictures and 2D planar thin-layer images was 28(23,61), 38(28,69) and 31(27,122) seconds, respectively, and the level of understanding satisfaction with the spatial adjacency was 5(4,6), 4(4,6) and 4(3,6), respectively, and all differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The accuracy was 55.6%(37.5%,65.6%), 52.8%(37.5%,62.5%) and 52.8%(37.5%,60.0%) and there was no statistical difference (P=0.547). Thus, the use of 3D virtual video in medical imaging teaching for acoustic neuroma can augment the students′ satisfaction levels and enhance the teaching effect by reducing learning time without compromising accuracy.

Key words: Acoustic neuroma, Diagnostic medical imaging, Medical imaging technology, Spatial adjacency, Teaching effect, Wechat applet