A Case of Cochlear Implantation in Otosclerosis / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

Otosclerosis is known to be rare in orientals, but there have been a few reports of the clinically suspicious otosclerosis cases in Korea. Otosclerosis is a bony disorder involving endochondral bone of the otic and labyrinthine capsule. Advanced and very advanced otosclerosis are conditions in which the otosclerotic involvement of the otic capsule has progressed to result in profound deafness with undetectable bone and air conduction thresholds. The patients, who have severe to profound hearing loss due to otosclerosis, potentially benefit from a stapes surgery and optimal hearing aid fitting. But there are a few reports that cochlear implantation may provide these patients with a superior outcome. We report a 58 year-old man with severe to profound hearing loss, which was a first reported case of cochlear implantation employed to treat otosclerosis in Korea. We present this with a review of the related literature.