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Vestibular aqueduct in sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 November 2007

M Sugiura ,
S Naganawa ,
I M Ishida ,
M Teranishi ,
S Nakata ,
T Yoshida  and
T Nakashima
M Sugiura*
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
S Naganawa
Affiliation:
Department of Radiology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
I M Ishida
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
M Teranishi
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
S Nakata
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
T Yoshida
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
T Nakashima
Affiliation:
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Makoto Sugiura, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan. Fax: +81 52 744 2325 E-mail: makotos@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp
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Abstract

Objective:

To evaluate the vestibular aqueduct in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Methods:

We evaluated 19 patients (12 men and seven women; age range, 22−79 years) with unilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss, using computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. All these patients had unilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss. We also evaluated 47 control subjects (22 men and 25 women; age range, 22–79 years).

Results:

In sensorineural hearing loss affected ears, the width of the vestibular aqueduct at the midpoint and at the operculum was significantly greater than that in contralateral ears or in control ears. The width of the vestibular aqueduct at the midpoint and the operculum did not correlate with the audiometric threshold or the audiogram configuration. Contrast enhancement of the ipsilateral endolymphatic sac was observed in 17 of 19 patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (89 per cent). Eleven of these 17 patients also showed enhancement on the contralateral side, but no patient showed enhancement only on the contralateral side. In sensorineural hearing loss affected ears, the width of the vestibular aqueduct did not differ significantly between those patients with and without enhancement.

Conclusions:

The vestibular aqueducts of sudden sensorineural hearing loss affected ears are wider than those of controls. Precise imaging and evaluation of the inner ear is essential when investigating the pathological conditions responsible for sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Keywords

Sudden Hearing LossEndolymphatic DuctEndolymphatic SacComputed TomographyMagnetic Resonance Imaging
Type
Main Article
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 122 , Issue 9 , September 2008 , pp. 887 - 892
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2007

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