title: Long-term clinical course and temporal bone histology after cochlear implantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Illustrate long-term follow-up clinical and histologic data from a patient with unilateral multichannel cochlear implantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case report.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical history, evolution of audiometric findings, and results of temporal bone histopathology of a patient implanted with a Nucleus 22 system in the right ear were analysed and interpreted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Audiometry showed severe bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, which progressed in the non-implanted ear postoperatively. With the implanted ear, speech perception was excellent postoperatively and remained stable over 5 years. Histology showed a relatively small number of spiral ganglion cells bilaterally.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cochlear implantation can provide stable hearing in light of deteriorating hearing loss in the non-implanted ear. Only a small number of surviving ganglion cells were necessary for the implant.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Holger G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Gassner
authors.forename: Jon K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Shallop
authors.forename: Colin L W
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Driscoll