Enlarged vestibular aqueduct in pediatric sensorineural hearing loss.

Abstract

Comparison of the Cincinnati criteria (midpoint >0.9 mm or operculum >1.9 mm) to the Valvassori criterion (midpoint > or =1.5 mm) for enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA) in pediatric cochlear implant patients. Cohort study. One hundred thirty pediatric cochlear implant recipients. We reviewed temporal bone CT scans to measure the vestibular aqueduct midpoint and opercular width. The Cincinnati criteria identified 44 percent of patients with EVA versus 16 percent with the Valvassori criterion (P < 0.01). Of those with EVA, 45 percent were unilateral and 55 percent were bilateral using Cincinnati criteria; 64 percent were unilateral and 36 percent bilateral using Valvassori criterion (P < 0.01). The Cincinnati criteria diagnosed 70 ears with EVA classified as normal using the Valvassori criterion (P < 0.01); 59 lacked another medical explanation for their hearing loss. The Cincinnati criteria identified a large percentage of pediatric cochlear implant patients with EVA who might otherwise have no known etiology for their deafness.