A retrospective study on post-operative hearing of middle ear cholesteatoma patients with labyrinthine fistula

Abstract

Conclusions: There is no significant change in bone conduction threshold after operation, so the tympanoplasty can be done to maintain hearing when conditions allow. Objective: To study the impact of surgical treatment on hearing of cholesteatoma patients with labyrinthine fistula. Methods: The clinical data of 35 patients (35 ears) with labyrinthine fistula, which were caused by cholesteatoma, were analyzed retrospectively. The hearing of 21 patients was followed up. Results: Three months to 5 years follow-up of 21 patients were accomplished by pure tone audiometry and other details. There was no recurrent cholesteatoma in the patients. Compared with pre-operative average bone conduction at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 kHz, 12 cases had a difference less than 5 dB, three patients’ hearing improved (more than 10 dB), and five cases declined (more than 10 dB). One patient received cochlear implantation 3 months after the surgery. The average bone and air conduction thresholds at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 kHz had no obvious change (p > 0.05) in 11 patients managed by a canal wall down mastoidectomy with tympanoplasty.

Keywords:

• Cholesteatoma
• labyrinthine fistula
• post-operative hearing
• surgical treatment

Acknowledgements

This paper was supported by the National (Province) Natural Science Foundation of China (No.81371099,81120108008, No.2014JQ2-8046) and grant from the Major State Basic Research Development Program of China (No. 2011CB504505). The funding agency had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, the decision to publish or the preparation of the manuscript. All the pictures originate from the internet.

Declaration of interest:

The authors report no conflicts of interest.