Auditory rehabilitation of patients with neurofibromatosis Type 2 by using cochlear implants.
Publication/Presentation Date
10-1-2011
Abstract
OBJECT: The aim of this study was to determine whether patients with neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2) who have intact ipsilateral cochlear nerves can have open-set speech discrimination following cochlear implantation.
METHODS: Records of 7 patients with documented NF2 were reviewed to determine speech discrimination outcomes following cochlear implantation. Outcomes were measured using consonant-nucleus-consonant words and phonemes; Hearing in Noise Test sentences in quiet; and City University of New York sentences in quiet and in noise.
RESULTS: Preoperatively, none of the patients had open-set speech discrimination. Five of the 7 patients had previously undergone excision of ipsilateral vestibular schwannoma (VS). One of the patients who received a cochlear implant had received radiation therapy for ipsilateral VS, and another was undergoing observation for a small ipsilateral VS. Following cochlear implantation, 4 of 7 patients with NF2 had open-set speech discrimination following cochlear implantation during extended follow-up (15-120 months). Two of the 3 patients without open-set speech understanding had a prolonged period between ipsilateral VS resection and cochlear implantation (120 and 132 months), and had cochlear ossification at the time of implantation. The other patient without open-set speech understanding had good contralateral hearing at the time of cochlear implantation. Despite these findings, 6 of the 7 patients were daily users of their cochlear implants, and the seventh is an occasional user, indicating that all of the patients subjectively gained some benefit from their implants.
CONCLUSIONS: Cochlear implantation can provide long-term auditory rehabilitation, with open-set speech discrimination for patients with NF2 who have intact ipsilateral cochlear nerves. Factors that can affect implant performance include the following: 1) a prolonged time between VS resection and implantation; and 2) cochlear ossification.
Volume
115
Issue
4
First Page
827
Last Page
834
ISSN
1933-0693
Published In/Presented At
Roehm, P. C., Mallen-St Clair, J., Jethanamest, D., Golfinos, J. G., Shapiro, W., Waltzman, S., & Roland, J. T., Jr (2011). Auditory rehabilitation of patients with neurofibromatosis Type 2 by using cochlear implants. Journal of neurosurgery, 115(4), 827–834. https://doi.org/10.3171/2011.5.JNS101929
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
PubMedID
21761973
Department(s)
Department of Surgery
Document Type
Article