Large vestibular aqueduct syndrome and stapes fixation.

An abnormally large vestibular aqueduct has a well recognized association with inner ear anomalies and it has been assumed previously to be a variant of a Mondini type of deformity (Shuknecht, 1980; Emmett, 1985). The sole radiological finding in some patients with progressive sensorineural loss has been a large vestibular aqueduct (Valvassori and Clemis, 1978; Valvassori, 1983), which is now accepted as a separate clinical entity, i.e. the large vestibular aqueduct syndrome (LVAS). A case is presented which is believed to be the first reported with unilateral LVAS and stapes fixation and also the first stapes gusher described in association with LVAS.