Delayed hearing loss after microvascular decompression of the trigeminal nerve.
OBJECTIVE
The development of sudden postoperative hearing loss as a complication of microvascular decompression (MVD) operations in the cerebellopontine angle has already been reported. A sudden hearing loss of vascular origin may also occur hours or days after such operations, but even in such cases an improvement of hearing over the following weeks is possible. Here we report on a gradual deterioration of hearing over a period of two weeks after MVD which has not been described in the literature up to now.


METHODS
A MVD operation was performed twice on a 36 year old patient with trigeminal neuralgia. After the second operation the patient developed a slight hearing impairment 3 days postoperatively which increased over a period of two weeks and ended up with total deafness. The course of intra-operative brainstem auditory evoked potentials and postoperative audiograms is documented.


CONCLUSIONS
Because of gradual development of the delayed hearing loss, we conclude that postoperative tissue scarring may be the underlying pathology.
Kuchta
J
J
Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, PA, USA.
Møller
A R
AR
Wedekind
C
C
Jannetta
P J
PJ
D000328:Adult; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D005260:Female; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000502:physiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012086:Reoperation; D013997:Time Factors; D014276:Trigeminal Nerve / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000601:surgery*; D014277:Trigeminal Neuralgia / Q000601:surgery; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures