Audiological and speech performance in pediatric cochlear implant patients with inner ear malformations

Abstract

We evaluated the audiological and speech performance of pediatric cochlear implant patients with inner ear malformations. Fourteen pediatric cochlear implant patients with inner ear malformations diagnosed by high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the temporal bone were examined. Seven of the patients had an incomplete partition (IP), with two patients also exhibiting bilateral narrow internal auditory canals (IAC), and one also exhibiting bilateral enlarged vestibular aqueducts (EVA). One patient had partial semicircular canal aplasia, four had bilateral enlarged vestibular aqueducts (EVA), and two had a common cavity deformity (CC). None of the patients experienced postoperative complications, such as facial palsy, meningitis, or electrode extrusion. Children with bilateral narrow IACs demonstrated exhibited the poorest performance in all of the postoperative speech perception tests; therefore, they encouraged to use sign language to develop their language skills. Among two cases of common cavity deformity (CC), one began to perform well in postoperative speech perception and language development, while the other showed poor language acquisition. Because children with IP, partial semicircular canal aplasia, or EVA showed a significant improvement in speech perception, they are considered to be good candidates for cochlear implantation.