ENT management of a child with CHARGE association.

The acronym CHARGE is used to describe specific congenital birth defects in children: colobomata, heart defect, atresia of the choanae, retarded growth or development, genital hypoplasia, and ear anomalies or deafness. CHARGE association with hearing impairment is a challenge to ENT surgeons. We report the case of a child with CHARGE association who underwent cochlear implantation using an unconventional surgical approach and review the postoperative speech perception results. The benefits of cochlear implantation in children with multiple congenital defects are discussed.