Cochlear implantation in children with enlarged vestibular aqueduct.
OBJECTIVE
To determine audiometric outcomes and complications of cochlear implantation in patients with enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA).


METHODS
Retrospective review at a tertiary care children's hospital.


METHODS
Twenty-three patients with EVA who underwent cochlear implantation were reviewed using postoperative pure-tone averages (PTA), speech perception thresholds (SPT), Phonetically Balanced Kindergarten test (PBK50) sentence testing scores, and review of complications.


RESULTS
Of the 23 patients, the average age at initial cochlear implant referral was 4.7 years, and the average age at implantation was 5.3 years. EVA was diagnosed by computed tomography (nine patients), magnetic resonance imaging (10 patients), or both (four patients). EVA was identified bilaterally in 19 and unilaterally in four patients. Overall, the mean postoperative PTA was 30.5 dB (+/-8.6 dB standard deviation [SD]), and mean SPT was 25.9 dB (+/-8.1 dB SD). A subset of the patients had postoperative PBK50 sentence testing and the average score was 58% (range, 12%-84%). Four children were implanted within 1 month from entrance into our cochlear implant program (early implanted), and three children were implanted more than 10 months after program entrance (late implanted). The mean postoperative PTA was 40.3 dB (+/-7.6 dB SD) for the early group and 26.3 dB (+/-4.2 dB SD) for the late group. Four patients had reported complications, three had intraoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) gushers at the cochleostomy site, and one had postoperative infection requiring implant removal and reimplantation.


CONCLUSIONS
Children with EVA undergoing cochlear implantation are at greater risk for CSF gushers, but they do well audiometrically and functionally.
Lee
Kenneth H
KH
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Texas, USA. kenneth.lee@utsouthwestern.edu
Lee
James
J
Isaacson
Brandon
B
Kutz
J Walter
JW
Roland
Peter S
PS
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019929:Cochlear Implantation; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014723:Vestibular Aqueduct / Q000002:abnormalities*; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000150:complications*