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Restoration of useful hearing after microvascular decompression of the cochlear nerve
G L Rosseau1, P J Jannetta, B Hirsch
1Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Abstract:
This report describes a patient with sudden sensorineural hearing loss who was found to have a megadolichoectasia vertebrobasilar system that appeared to be causing compression of the ipsilateral facial and vestibulocochlear nerves. The patient was treated conservatively for 4 months, during which time no hearing returned. He then underwent microvascular decompression of the affected nerves. At surgery, marked compression of the cranial nerves VII-VIII complex and the pons was observed. Postoperatively, the patient experienced a gradual return of useful hearing. We suggest that vascular compression may be a rare, but treatable, cause of sensorineural hearing loss.