title: Pneumolabyrinth and positional vertigo after stapedectomy.
abstract: Pneumolabyrinth due to late complications of stapes surgery is a rare entity. Symptoms may include various degrees of hearing loss, tinnitus and dizziness. We report the case of a 67-year-old patient who developed a unique pneumolabyrinth variant affecting the vestibule, cochlea and semicircular canals 28 years after stapedectomy. The patient presented with intractable paroxysmal positional vertigo of the lateral semicircular canal. The pneumolabyrinth was visualized by means of high resolution computed tomography. Exploratory tympanotomy findings were consistent with a perilymphatic fistula. One year after surgical treatment the subject was free of vertigo spells. Pathogenetic mechanisms are discussed.
authors.affiliation: ENT Department, University of Verona, Italy. marcomand@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mandalà
authors.forename: Liliana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Colletti
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carner
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barillari
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cerini
authors.forename: Roberto Pozzi
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Mucelli
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Colletti
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003051:Cochlea / Q000503:physiopathology; D005402:Fistula / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007759:Labyrinth Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D010498:Perilymph / Q000378:metabolism; D035583:Rare Diseases; D012665:Semicircular Canals / Q000503:physiopathology; D013201:Stapes Surgery / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D014717:Vertigo / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000503:physiopathology