Children with unilateral cochlear nerve canal stenosis have bilateral cochleovestibular anomalies.

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

STUDY

DESIGN

Retrospective review.

METHODS

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).

RESULTS

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.

CONCLUSIONS

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.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3b Laryngoscope, 129:2403-2408, 2019.