title: Restudy of malformations of the internal auditory meatus, cochlear nerve canal and cochlear nerve.
abstract: The present study aims to restudy the correlation between the internal auditory meatus (IAM), the cochlear nerve canal (CNC), the cochlear nerve (CN) and inner ear malformations. In this retrospective study design, the abnormal diameter of the IAM, CNC and CN in patients with any kind of inner ear malformations was evaluated using multi-slice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) (37 patients) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (18 patients). Of 37 MSCT-diagnosed patients, 2 had IAM atresia, 11 IAM stenosis, 22 enlarged IAM, and 2 normal IAM with an abnormal CN. MRI diagnoses of 18 patients revealed 8 cases of aplastic CN, 6 hypoplastic CN, and 4 normal CN. CNC stenosis was associated with CN hypoplasia (P < 0.001). Patients with absent or stenotic IAM had less CN development than those with normal or enlarged IAM (P = 0.001). We propose a modification of the existing classification systems with a view to distinguishing malformations of the IAM, CNC and CN.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Children Medical Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China.
authors.forename: Youjin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jinfen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Hao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003051:Cochlea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003056:Cochlear Nerve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000175:diagnosis; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007759:Labyrinth Diseases / Q000151:congenital / Q000175:diagnosis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D061330:Multidetector Computed Tomography / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology