Children with unilateral cochlear nerve canal stenosis have bilateral cochleovestibular anomalies

To investigate the cochleovestibular apparatus bilaterally in children with isolated unilateral bony cochlear nerve canal (bCNC) stenosis.

Retrospective review.

Imaging studies of children with unilateral bCNC stenosis (<1.0 mm) on computed tomography imaging (N = 36) were compared with controls imaged due to trauma without temporal bone injury (N = 32). Twenty-six measurements were obtained in each ear, assessing the bony internal auditory canal (IAC), cochlea, and vestibular end-organs, and were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance for intersubject comparisons and paired t tests for intrasubject comparisons with a Bonferroni adjustment for multiple comparisons (P = .0006).

Patients with bCNC stenosis had a smaller IAC (P < .000) and cochlea (P < .000) on the stenotic side as compared with controls. Although the vestibular end-organ was also smaller in bCNC ears, this difference was not significant. The contralateral ear also had a smaller bCNC (P < .000) and cochlea (P < .000) as compared with controls, although to a lesser degree than the stenotic side.

Children with unilateral bCNC stenosis have abnormal biometry of both the cochlea and the vestibular end-organ in the affected and the normal contralateral ear as compared with controls.

3b Laryngoscope, 129:2403-2408, 2019.