The Impact of Postmeningitic Labyrinthitis Ossificans on Speech Performance After Pediatric Cochlear Implantation.

OBJECTIVE

1) To characterize pediatric cochlear implant performance in patients with hearing loss secondary to bacterial meningitis. 2) To evaluate performance differences in patients with and without labyrinthitis ossificans (LO).

STUDY

DESIGN

Retrospective case review.

SETTING

A large university-based multidisciplinary cochlear implant program.

PATIENTS: Forty-nine patients with hearing loss from bacterial meningitis who received cochlear implants from 1991 to 2011. Thirty-nine patients had adequate data for analysis.

INTERVENTION: Cochlear implantation with postoperative performance evaluation.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Speech perception category (SPC).

RESULTS

Nineteen (48.7%) patients had intraoperative evidence of LO. Fourteen patients (70.0%) without LO compared with seven (36.8%) with LO developed open-set speech after implantation. There was a trend toward better postimplant SPC outcomes in patients without LO that did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.17). The presence of LO negatively correlated with classroom placement (p < 0.05). Analysis of each group individually demonstrated statistically significant improvement in pre- versus postimplant SPC outcomes (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The presence of LO may negatively affect performance in pediatric patients receiving a cochlear implant for hearing loss secondary to bacterial meningitis.