Augmented ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials to air-conducted sound in large vestibular aqueduct syndrome.

OBJECTIVE

To demonstrate the value of recording air-conducted ocular Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (oVEMP) in a patient with bilaterally enlarged vestibular aqueducts.

DESIGN

Cervical VEMP and oVEMP were recorded from a patient presenting with bilateral hearing loss and imbalance, attributable to large vestibular aqueduct syndrome. The stimuli were air-conducted tone bursts at octave frequencies from 250 to 2000 Hz. Amplitudes and thresholds were measured and compared with the normal response range of 32 healthy control subjects.

RESULTS

oVEMP reflexes demonstrated pathologically increased amplitudes and reduced thresholds for low-frequency tone bursts. Cervical VEMP amplitudes and thresholds were within normal limits for both ears across all frequencies of stimulation.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is the first to describe the augmentation of AC oVEMPs in an adult with large vestibular aqueduct syndrome.