Nucleus 22 cochlear implantation results in postmeningitic deafness.
Cochlear implant surgery was performed on 13 patients with postmeningitic deafness (seven adults, six children). Two adults and two children (30.8%) had severe labyrinthitis ossificans requiring radical "drill-out." Five of 13 (38.5%) had some bone growth requiring partial drill-out, and four of 13 (30.8%) had normal insertion with no drill-out. Hearing results for patients with no bone growth were similar to nonmeningitic patients; three of four (75%) had open-set speech recognition. Performance of patients with total drill-out was poor; "auditory only" performance was limited to detection and pattern perception of speech, and no patients had open-set speech recognition. Results for patients with partial drill-out were similar to results in patients with no bone growth. Labyrinthitis ossificans not only presents surgical challenges to cochlear implantation but may also adversely affect hearing outcome.
Rauch
S D
SD
Department of Otology and Laryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Herrmann
B S
BS
Davis
L A
LA
Nadol
J B
JB
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019929:Cochlear Implantation; D003638:Deafness / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008581:Meningitis / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009999:Ossification, Heterotopic / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D013063:Speech Discrimination Tests; D013067:Speech Perception