title: Cochlear implantation in patients with vestibular schwannoma: a single United Kingdom center experience.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the outcome of cochlear implantation (CI) in patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective case series from a tertiary auditory implant center.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective case note review was carried out to evaluate patients with bilateral profound hearing loss and VS who underwent unilateral CI within the Auditory Implant Centre at St. Thomas' Hospital, London, between 2000 and 2012. This included both bilateral VS with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) and unilateral sporadic VS. Outcome measures included speech perception with Bamford-Kowal-Bench and City University of New York sentences, sound-field thresholds with warble tones, and the subjective benefits reported by patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included five patients with NF2 and bilateral VS and two patients with sporadic unilateral VS. The standard preoperative audiologic assessment for CI often could not be carried out in NF2 patients. Preoperative testing was more complete in the two patients with sporadic VS. The audiologic outcome was variable. Open-set speech perception was achieved in three out of five NF2 patients, and another reported significant improvement in environmental sound perception and ease of communication. The outcome was overall better in patients with sporadic VS, both of whom were able to use the telephone in their implanted ear.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Good speech perception can be achieved in some cases, and CI should be considered as an option for auditory rehabilitation in patients with VS.
authors.affiliation: Auditory Implant Centre, St Thomas' Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Irumee
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pai
authors.forename: Vikram
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dhar
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kelleher
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nunn
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Connor
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Alec Fitzgerald
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: O'Connor
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019929:Cochlear Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cochlear implants; neurofibromatosis type 2; vestibular schwannoma