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Superior canal dehiscence syndrome
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
The American Journal of Otology
|January 29, 2000
Summary
Superior canal dehiscence syndrome causes vertigo and chronic dysequilibrium, often triggered by sound. Surgical repair of the superior semicircular canal effectively resolves these debilitating vestibular symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Neuroscience
- Vestibular System Physiology
Background:
- Superior canal dehiscence syndrome (SCDS) is a condition characterized by a bony defect over the superior semicircular canal.
- This defect can lead to abnormal vestibular responses to auditory and pressure stimuli.
Observation:
- Seventeen patients with SCDS presented with sound- or pressure-induced vertigo and oscillopsia.
- Evoked eye movements exhibited vertical and torsional components, correlating with canal excitation or inhibition.
- Chronic dysequilibrium was a prevalent and debilitating symptom in 76% of patients.
Findings:
- Computed tomographic scans confirmed dehiscence of the superior semicircular canal in all cases.
- Surgical repair (canal plugging or resurfacing) in five patients led to symptom resolution or improvement.
- Vestibular hypofunction occurred in two patients post-surgery, with no hearing loss.
Implications:
- SCDS is identifiable through characteristic clinical presentations and CT findings.
- The syndrome's pathophysiology involves altered labyrinthine physiology due to the dehiscence.
- SCDS represents a treatable cause of significant vestibular dysfunction.