Byung Chul Kang1, Jee Yeon Lee2, Yehree Kim2, Jun Woo Park2, Woo Seok Kang2, Joong Ho Ahn2, Hong Ju Park2, Jong Woo Chung2. 1. Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Ulsan University Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Ulsan. 2. Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diameter of the bony cochlear nerve canal (BCNC) as a prognostic indicator of cochlear implantation (CI) in children. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: Two hundred ninety two prelingual deaf children (323 ears) who received CI before the age of 5 years. INTERVENTIONS: CI in pediatric patients. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES: Postoperative auditory performance was analyzed according to the diameter of the BCNC using the Mann-Whitney U test. Using the images of temporal bone computed tomography, patients were grouped according to the diameter of the BCNC: narrow (<1.4 mm, Group 1), normal (Group 2), and other anomalies (Group 3). RESULTS: Group 1 (10.5%) showed a less significant degree of improvement in category of audiological performance (CAP) score than Groups 2 (57.3%) and 3 (32.2%). Scores obtained from both the open-set monosyllabic words and sentence tests were lower in Group 1 than Groups 2 and 3. Of the patients with narrow BCNC, the CAP score of patient with complete stenosis of BCNC (<0.2 mm) was lower than that of patients with BCNC between 0.2 and 0.8 mm, also 0.8 and 1.4 mm. CONCLUSIONS: The improvement in auditory performance was limited in children with narrow BCNC and the narrower the BCNC, the more severe the limitation. However, gradual improvement can be expected and even children with narrow BCNC may be candidates for early CI and rehabilitation.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diameter of the bony cochlear nerve canal (BCNC) as a prognostic indicator of cochlear implantation (CI) in children. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: Two hundred ninety two prelingual deaf children (323 ears) who received CI before the age of 5 years. INTERVENTIONS: CI in pediatric patients. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES: Postoperative auditory performance was analyzed according to the diameter of the BCNC using the Mann-Whitney U test. Using the images of temporal bone computed tomography, patients were grouped according to the diameter of the BCNC: narrow (<1.4 mm, Group 1), normal (Group 2), and other anomalies (Group 3). RESULTS: Group 1 (10.5%) showed a less significant degree of improvement in category of audiological performance (CAP) score than Groups 2 (57.3%) and 3 (32.2%). Scores obtained from both the open-set monosyllabic words and sentence tests were lower in Group 1 than Groups 2 and 3. Of the patients with narrow BCNC, the CAP score of patient with complete stenosis of BCNC (<0.2 mm) was lower than that of patients with BCNC between 0.2 and 0.8 mm, also 0.8 and 1.4 mm. CONCLUSIONS: The improvement in auditory performance was limited in children with narrow BCNC and the narrower the BCNC, the more severe the limitation. However, gradual improvement can be expected and even children with narrow BCNC may be candidates for early CI and rehabilitation.