Cochlear implantation in a bilateral sensorineural hearing loss patient with relapsing polychondritis.
Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare disease which presents chondritis in multiple organs. Characteristic features include auricular chondritis, arthritis, nasal chondritis, ocular inflammation, respiratory tract involvement and audiovestibular damage. Fifty percent of cases of RP are associated with inner ear symptoms such as dizziness and hearing loss. We have recently encountered a case of RP in a 34-year-old man who had recurrent chondritis of both auricles and progressive bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss; he had been treated many times with steroids, immunosuppressants, plasmapheresis treatments. We perfomed a successful cochlear implant surgery on the left ear of this patient. This raises the possibility of using cochlear implants in treating patients with immune-mediated inner ear disease as well as such RP patients.
Seo
Young Joon
YJ
Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Choi
Jae Young
JY
Kim
Si Hong
SH
Kim
Tae-Jung
TJ
D000328:Adult; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D054644:Ear Auricle / Q000473:pathology; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009666:Nose / Q000473:pathology; D011081:Polychondritis, Relapsing / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D016896:Treatment Outcome