Vestibular symptoms in children with enlarged vestibular aqueduct anomaly.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study is to describe the vestibular symptoms in pediatric patients with enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA) anomaly.


METHODS
Retrospective chart review of pediatric and adult patients with EVA anomaly who were treated at the University of Utah Hospital or Primary Children's Medical Center, between 1995 and 2005. Radiographs were reviewed to confirm the diagnosis. Comparisons were made between adult and pediatric patients.


RESULTS
Thirty-two patients were included in the study, 17 females and 15 males. Twenty-one patients were under the age of 18 and 11 patients were age 18 or older. On initial audiometric evaluation at a tertiary hospital, the pure tone average in the right ear was 75.0 dB and the pure tone average in the left ear was 80.4 dB. The incidence of vestibular symptoms in adult patients was 45.5% and in pediatric patients was 48.0%. Fourteen patients underwent cochlear implantation. Four patients (28.6%) who previously denied vestibular symptoms experienced post-operative vertigo after cochlear implantation.


CONCLUSIONS
About half of the patients with EVA in our series experienced vestibular symptoms. Pediatric patients in our series experienced vertigo and vestibular symptoms with equal frequency when compared to adult patients. Some patients with EVA undergoing cochlear implantation experienced vestibular symptoms in the post-operative period.
Grimmer
J Fredrik
JF
Division of Otolaryngology, University of Utah, Primary Children's Medical Center, UT, USA. fred.grimmer@intermountainmail.org
Hedlund
Gary
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014723:Vestibular Aqueduct / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology