Congenital deafness and spontaneous CSF otorrhea

Two patients with congenital deafness had spontaneous CSF otorrhea and recurrent bacterial meningitis. A careful workup, including tomograms, is especially important in the treatment of the closed type of CSF otorrhea. At operation of our patients, the leak was found to be at or near the oval window. The stapes was removed, and muscle was packed into the defect. The profuse flow of CSF was believed to be secondary to a wide-open cochlear aqueduct in the first case, and to an abnormal communication between the internal auditory meatus and the vestibule in the second case. These findings were the bases for the recurrent bacterial meningitis.