Stapes gusher and Klippel-Feil syndrome.

The stapes gusher which is the most dramatic complication of stapedectomy arises from an abnormal communication between the subarchnoid and perilymphatic spaces. This congenital defect may be associated with other anomalies such as the Klippel-Feil syndrome. Two cases of stapes gusher in patients with congenital fixation of the footplate are described. One of them was combined with Klippel-Feil syndrome. The object of this paper is to emphasize the necessity of a complete preoperative examination of all cases of congenital footplate fixation.