Pneumolabyrinth secondary to temporal bone fracture: a case report and review of the literature

Figures & data

Figure 1 Preoperative pure tone audiogram showing a left-sided mixed hearing loss. Postoperative pure tone audiogram showing marked improvement, especially in the lower frequencies.

Figure 2 Axial computed tomography scan of the temporal bone showing air within the left vestibule (arrow).

Figure 3 Coronal computed tomography scan of the temporal bone showing air within the basal turn of the cochlea (arrow).

Table 1 Review of the literature

Reference	Age (years)	Sex	Type of fracture	Site of pneumolabyrinth	Site of fistula	Symptoms and signs	Preoperative PTA AC (dB)	Preoperative PTA BC (dB)	Treatment	Interval to surgery (days)	Postoperative vestibular symptoms	Postoperative auditory symptoms	Postoperative PTA AC (dB)	Postoperative PTA BC (dB)
Lipkin et al^Citation3	26	M	Longitudinal	Vestibule	OW, RW	HL, vertigo, tinnitus, headache	70	84	Surgery	6	Resolved	Improved	45	NA
Yanagihara et al^Citation4	17	M	Longitudinal	NA	RW	HL, vertigo, tinnitus	96	47	Surgery	26	Resolved	Improved	34	27
Nurre et al^Citation5	57	M	Transverse	Vestibule	NA	HL, vertigo, tinnitus, HT	NA	NA	Conservative	–	Resolved	NA	NA	NA
Weissman et al^Citation6	25	M	Transverse	Vestibule, cochlea, common crus	NA	HL	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
Lyos et al^Citation7	20	M	Transverse	Vestibule	RW	HL, vertigo	61	54	Surgery	7	Resolved	Deteriorated	103	NA
	20	M	Transverse	Vestibule	OW, RW	HL, imbalance	89	37	Surgery	90	NA	Deteriorated	NA	NA
	26	M	Transverse	Vestibule	OW	HL, vertigo, tinnitus, headache, HT	84	70	Surgery	6	Resolved	Improved	68	31
Gross et al^Citation8	2	M	Longitudinal and transverse	Vestibule	NA	HL, EAC lacerations, HT	NA	NA	Conservative	–	NA	NA	NA	NA
Woodson et al^Citation9	85	M	Transverse	Vestibule	NA	HL, HT	NA	NA	Conservative	–	NA	Profound SNHL	NA	NA
de Negreiros et al^Citation10	31	M	Transverse	Vestibule	NA	HL, vertigo, tinnitus, EAC lacerations, HT	NA	NA	Conservative	–	Resolved	Profound SNHL	NA	NA
Prisman et al^Citation1	13	M	Complex TB fracture	Vestibule, cochlea, PSCC	NA	HL, vertigo, nystagmus	110	67	Conservative	–	Resolved	Stable	110	67
	12	M	Transverse	Vestibule, cochlea	NA	HL, vertigo, seizure, bloody otorrhea	NA	NA	Conservative	–	Resolved	Fluctuating SNHL	44	38
	4	M	Transverse	Vestibule, PSCC	NA	HL, vertigo, nystagmus	70	10	Conservative	–	Resolved	Improved	68	27
Adil et al^Citation11	7	M	Transverse	Vestibule	OW, RW	HL, vertigo, nystagmus	NA	NA	Surgery	7	Resolved	NA	NA	NA
Present case	31	F	Longitudinal	Vestibule, cochlea	OW	HL, vertigo	95	55	Surgery	3	Resolved	Improved	48	40

Abbreviations: M, male; F, female; PTA, pure tone average; AC, air conduction; BC, bone conduction; OW, oval window; RW, round window; IAC, internal auditory canal; PSCC, posterior semicircular canal; TB, temporal bone; NA, not available; HL, hearing loss; SNHL, sensorineural hearing loss; EAC, external auditory canal; HT, hemotympanum.

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