title: The positional relationship between facial nerve and round window niche in patients with congenital aural atresia and stenosis.
abstract: To investigate whether differences existing in the distance between facial nerve (FN) and round window niche opening among congenital aural atresia (CAA), congenital aural stenosis (CAS) and a normal control group and to assess its effect on the round window implantation of vibrant soundbridge, CT images of 10 normal subjects (20 ears), 27 CAS patients (30 ears) and 25 CAA patients (30 ears) were analyzed. The distances from the central point of round window niche opening to the terminal point of the horizontal segment, the salient point of pyramidal segment, the beginning point of the vertical segment, and the vertical segment of the facial nerve (abbreviate as OA, OB, OC, OE, respectively) were calculated based on three-dimensional reconstruction using mimics software. The results suggested that the pyramidal segment of the FN was positioned more closely to round window niche opening in patients with both CAA and CAS groups than that in control group, whereas there was no significant difference between CAA and CAS group (P < 0.05). The vertical portion of the FN was positioned more closely to round window niche opening in the CAA group than those in both the CAS and control groups with statistical significance (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the vertical portion of the FN was positioned more closely to round window niche opening in the CAS group than that in control group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the dislocation between facial nerve and round window niche in patients with congenital auditory canal malformations could have significant effects on the round window implantation of vibrant soundbridge. Moreover, three-dimensional measurements and assessments before surgery might be helpful for a safer surgical approach and implantation of vibrant soundbridge.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Eye and ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Keguang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Eye and ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Huiying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lyu
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Eye and ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Youzhou
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Experimental Center, Eye and ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Hearing Medicine Key Laboratory, National Ministry of Public Health, No.83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Eye and ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Tianyu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Experimental Center, Eye and ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Hearing Medicine Key Laboratory, National Ministry of Public Health, No.83 Fenyang Road, Shanghai, China. daipeidongent@163.com.
authors.forename: Peidong
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities; D003251:Constriction, Pathologic / Q000151:congenital; D004423:Ear / Q000002:abnormalities*; D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000151:congenital*; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012405:Round Window, Ear / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Congenital aural atresia; Congenital aural stenosis; Facial nerve; Round window