Auditory brainstem implant in postmeningitis totally ossified cochleae

Abstract

Introduction: An auditory brainstem implant (ABI) is an option for auditory rehabilitation in patients with totally ossified cochleae who cannot receive a conventional cochlear implant.

Objective: To evaluate the outcomes in audiometry and speech perception tests after the implantation of an ABI via the extended retrolabyrinthine approach in patients with postmeningitis hearing loss.

Materials and methods: Ten patients, including children and adults, with postmeningitis hearing loss and bilateral totally ossified cochleae received an ABI in a tertiary center from 2009 to 2015. The extended retrolabyrinthine approach was performed in all the patients by the same surgeons. A statistical analysis compared pure tonal averages and speech perception tests before and at least 12 months after the ABI activation.

Results: Eight patients (80%) showed improvements in tonal audiometry and the word and vowel perception tests after an average follow-up of 3.3 years. Two patients recognized up to 40% of the closed-set sentences without lip-reading. Two patients had no auditory response.

Conclusions: The ABI improved hearing performance in audiometry and speech perception tests in cases of postmeningitis hearing loss. The extended retrolabyrinthine approach is a safe surgical option for patients with postmeningitis hearing loss and bilateral totally ossified cochleae.

Chinese abstract

简介：听觉脑干植入物（ABI）是耳蜗完全骨化 的患者因不能接受常规人工耳蜗植入而需要听神经康复治疗的一种选择。

目的：评估患脑膜炎后听力丧失患者, 通过扩张迷路法植入ABI后, 进行听力测试和言语感知测试的结果。

材料与方法：2009年至2015年间, 10名患有脑膜炎后听力丧失和双侧完全骨化的耳蜗的患者（包括儿童和成人）在三级中心接受了ABI。所有患者均由同一名外科医生进行扩张迷路法手术。统计分析比较了ABI激活前和至少12个月之后的纯音平均值和语音感知测试。

结果：平均随访3.3年后, 8名患者（80％）的听力测听和单词和元音知觉测试得到改善。两名患者在没有唇读的情况下识别了40％的闭合句。两名患者没有听觉反应。

结论：ABI改善了脑膜炎后听力损失患者的听力测试和言语感知测试的听力表现。扩大迷路法对于术后听力减退和双侧耳蜗完全骨化的患者是安全的手术选择。

Keywords:

• Auditory brainstem implant
• meningitis
• cochlear ossification
• hearing loss
• deafness
• cochlear implantation

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.