Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children study of traumatic sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
OBJECTIVE
Traumatic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SHL) is by definition a hearing loss of greater or equal to 30 dB occurring within 3 days of trauma. The objective of this study was to assess the rate of traumatic sudden SHL. Etiology is discussed with statistical references, and appropriate treatment is proposed. A case study of an enlarged vestibular aqueduct illustrates the above.


METHODS
The authors retrospectively studied cases at The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, between the years 1980 and 1995. High-resolution CT scans of the temporal bones with bone algorithms and coronal/axial views were performed on all children presenting with SHL after 1988.


RESULTS
Of the 12 children studied, 9 had high-resolution CT scans, revealing a 33% incidence each of inner-ear malformations, temporal bone fractures, and other miscellaneous CT findings.


CONCLUSIONS
By corollary, the authors recommend a high index of suspicion for congenital temporal bone abnormalities in all cases of sudden sensorineural hearing loss, particularly those associated with trauma.
Kou
B
B
Department of Otolaryngology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario.
Macdonald
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000465:Algorithms; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications*; D003663:Decision Trees; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed