title: Auditory brainstem implantation to rehabilitate profound hearing loss with totally ossified cochleae induced by pneumococcal meningitis.
abstract: Hearing rehabilitation by cochlear implantation is not always possible in case of total ossification after pneumococcal meningitis. We report 3 cases of postmeningitis profound hearing loss with total cochlear ossification in adults who underwent auditory brainstem implantation (Nucleus 22, Cochlear Inc., Lane Cove, Australia) between 1999 and 2004. The postoperative follow-up period ranged from 1 to 6 years. Eleven to 15 out of 22 electrodes were activated. All patients had significant speech discrimination in the sound-only mode and an enhanced lip-reading performance with the implant. Auditory brainstem implants are an efficient means of auditory rehabilitation and may be considered in selected cases of bilateral profound hearing loss with the impossibility of cochlear implantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy, France. alexis.bozorg-grayeli@bjn.aphp.fr
authors.forename: Alexis Bozorg
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Grayeli
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kalamarides
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bouccara
authors.forename: Loutfa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ben Gamra
authors.forename: Emmannuelle
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ambert-Dahan
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sterkers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D038263:Auditory Brain Stem Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000601:surgery*; D003051:Cochlea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D003638:Deafness / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006312:Hearing Loss, Bilateral / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009999:Ossification, Heterotopic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed