Hypoplasia of the bony canal for the cochlear nerve in patients with congenital sensorineural hearing loss: initial observations.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the length and width of the bony canal of the cochlear nerve in patients with congenital sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) who have "normal" findings at thin-section computed tomography (CT) of the temporal bone.


METHODS
The authors retrospectively evaluated the length and width of the bony canal for the cochlear nerve in two groups of patients. The first group was composed of 33 patients with profound SNHL and no demonstrable abnormality at thin-section CT. The control group was composed of 50 patients who underwent temporal bone CT for causes unrelated to SNHL. The mean value +/- SD was calculated for both cohorts. Statistical analysis consisted of the nonparametric Wilcoxon rank sum test with the NPAR1WAY program.


RESULTS
The length and width of the bony canal for the cochlear nerve were significantly smaller in patients with SNHL than in the control group (P <.05)


CONCLUSIONS
The hypoplastic bony canal for the cochlear nerve in patients with SNHL may be indicative of a previously unrecognized embryologic malformation of the cochlear nerve.
Fatterpekar
G M
GM
Departments of Radiology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7510, USA.
Mukherji
S K
SK
Alley
J
J
Lin
Y
Y
Castillo
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003056:Cochlear Nerve / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000151:congenital* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010579:Petrous Bone / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000294:innervation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000294:innervation; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed