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Updated: Dec 29, 2025

Cochlear Implant Surgery and Electrically-evoked Auditory Brainstem Response Recordings in C57BL/6 Mice
Published on: January 9, 2019
Cochlear Implants in Alström Syndrome
Flavia Gheller1, Samanta Gallo1, Patrizia Trevisi1
1Department of Neurosciences, ENT Clinic, Padova University Hospital, Padua, Italy.
Objectives:
Too little is known about hearing loss rehabilitation in patients with Alström syndrome (AS). Benefits of hearing aids (HA) have not been fully documented and only one case treated with a Cochlear Implant (CI) has been described in the proceedings of a conference. Furthermore, comorbidities and risk of complications following surgical intervention may contraindicate Cochlear Implant procedures in these patients.The present case report concerns the first AS patient with CI in the literature.
Methods:
After reporting a concise description of the audiological profile of patients with AS described in the literature, the case of a 22-year-old woman with genetically confirmed Alström syndrome who underwent a sequential bilateral CI (Bi-CI) rehabilitation is reported. Audiological results before and after cochlear implantation are described.
Results:
The patient showed an excellent functional outcome with CIs, which enabled her to achieve communicative, social and academic results comparable with her peers, and no complications occurred.
Conclusions:
AS is not necessarily an absolute contraindication to CI. For many AS patients, a good cognitive function and adequate life expectancy represent a clear indication to prompt and adequate hearing rehabilitation with CIs. The description of this type of clinical cases could in the future also generate indications for a tailored audiological treatment of patients with very specific needs, such as patients with Alström Syndrome.

