The internal auditory canal and sensori-neural hearing loss in homozygous sickle cell disease.

The dimensions of the internal auditory canal were compared in patients with SS disease and with or without abnormal audiograms to investigate the role of auditory nerve compression by expansion of the petrous, temporal bone in hearing loss. There was no correlation between abnormal audiograms and narrowing of the internal auditory canals and it was concluded that this mechanism was not responsible for the hearing loss in SS disease.