Multichannel cochlear implantation in children with cochlear ossification.
OBJECTIVE
To compare results of post-meningitic children who had cochlear implantation with partial or complete drill-out to those who had no drill-out.


METHODS
This study is a retrospective case review.


METHODS
The Atlanta Cochlear Implant Group is a private, tertiary, outpatient clinic.


METHODS
Eligibility included all our post-meningitic patients, 2-17 years, having a cochlear implant between June 1990 and July 1997.


METHODS
All subjects had a Nucleus 22 cochlear implant surgically implanted, speech processor programming and follow-up testing in our center, and aural rehabilitation in a variety of therapy settings.


METHODS
Open and closed set speech discrimination tests.


RESULTS
Test performance for speech understanding was highest in the non-ossified group and lowest, but above chance, in the ossified group with complete drill-out.


CONCLUSIONS
While children with non-ossified cochleas performed best, even children with extensive ossification requiring complete drill-out benefited from cochlear implantation.
Steenerson
R L
RL
Atlanta Ear Clinic, Georgia, USA.
Gary
L B
LB
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003051:Cochlea / Q000601:surgery*; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D003638:Deafness / Q000209:etiology*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009999:Ossification, Heterotopic / Q000150:complications*; D012092:Replantation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*