TY - JOUR
T1 - The Size of Internal Auditory Canal Diverticula Is Unrelated to Degree of Hearing Loss
AU - Muelleman, Thomas J.
AU - Pippin, Kaley
AU - Shew, Matthew
AU - Villwock, Mark
AU - Lin, James
AU - Quesnel, Alicia M.
AU - Ledbetter, Luke
AU - Staecker, Hinrich
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.
PY - 2020/4/1
Y1 - 2020/4/1
N2 - Objectives: To explore the relationship between hearing loss and the internal auditory canal (IAC) diverticula. To determine whether diverticula exist within or medial to the otic capsule and the prevalence in a control population. Methods: Retrospective review of adult patients with radiologic evidence of an IAC diverticulum, no evidence of otosclerosis, and audiometric testing. Analyzed degree of hearing loss and width, length, height, and volume of diverticulum. Hounsfield unit (HU) measurements lateral and medial to the diverticulum. Results: Pure tone average (PTA), air-bone gap, and WRS (word recognition score) did not correlate with length, width, height, and volume of the diverticula. In patients with a unilateral diverticulum, there was no difference in mean PTA or WRS when comparing the diverticulum and nondiverticulum sides. Mean HU lateral to the diverticulum (2104 HU) was found to be significantly higher than medial to the diverticulum (1818 HU). There is a 5.6% prevalence of IAC diverticula in patients who underwent high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scans for chronic sinusitis (control group). Conclusion: These data support the notion that hearing loss in this population is a product of sampling bias. The size of IAC diverticula does not correlate with the degree of hearing loss, and there is no statistically significant association between sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and the presence of an IAC diverticulum. IAC diverticula may exist medial to, rather than within, the otic capsule given the significant difference in mean HUs medial and lateral to the diverticula. Level of Evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 130:1011–1015, 2020.
AB - Objectives: To explore the relationship between hearing loss and the internal auditory canal (IAC) diverticula. To determine whether diverticula exist within or medial to the otic capsule and the prevalence in a control population. Methods: Retrospective review of adult patients with radiologic evidence of an IAC diverticulum, no evidence of otosclerosis, and audiometric testing. Analyzed degree of hearing loss and width, length, height, and volume of diverticulum. Hounsfield unit (HU) measurements lateral and medial to the diverticulum. Results: Pure tone average (PTA), air-bone gap, and WRS (word recognition score) did not correlate with length, width, height, and volume of the diverticula. In patients with a unilateral diverticulum, there was no difference in mean PTA or WRS when comparing the diverticulum and nondiverticulum sides. Mean HU lateral to the diverticulum (2104 HU) was found to be significantly higher than medial to the diverticulum (1818 HU). There is a 5.6% prevalence of IAC diverticula in patients who underwent high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scans for chronic sinusitis (control group). Conclusion: These data support the notion that hearing loss in this population is a product of sampling bias. The size of IAC diverticula does not correlate with the degree of hearing loss, and there is no statistically significant association between sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and the presence of an IAC diverticulum. IAC diverticula may exist medial to, rather than within, the otic capsule given the significant difference in mean HUs medial and lateral to the diverticula. Level of Evidence: 4 Laryngoscope, 130:1011–1015, 2020.
KW - IAC diverticula
KW - IAC diverticulum
KW - internal auditory canal
KW - otic capsule
KW - Sensorineural hearing loss
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85068112383&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/lary.28155
DO - 10.1002/lary.28155
M3 - Article
C2 - 31233221
AN - SCOPUS:85068112383
SN - 0023-852X
VL - 130
SP - 1011
EP - 1015
JO - Laryngoscope
JF - Laryngoscope
IS - 4
ER -