6533b82cfe1ef96bd128e91c

RESEARCH PRODUCT

The role of fissula ante fenestram in unilateral sudden hearing loss

Gerd RaspJohann-martin HempelMark PlachtovicsMiklós TóthSebastian RoeschAndrás Grimm

subject

medicine.medical_specialtyRound windowbusiness.industryHearing lossFistulaOval windowAudiologyPerilymphmedicine.diseaseHearing recoverySurgerySudden Hearing Loss03 medical and health sciences0302 clinical medicinemedicine.anatomical_structureOtorhinolaryngologySudden sensorineural hearing lossotorhinolaryngologic diseasesmedicinemedicine.symptom030223 otorhinolaryngologybusiness030217 neurology & neurosurgery

description

The cause of unilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) remains unclear in many clinical cases. Perilymphatic leakage through a fissula ante fenestram (FAF) fistula is one possible reason. We present four clinical cases with proven FAF fistula, discovered during surgical exploration. All patients experienced partial hearing recovery after surgical coverage of the fistula. We suggest FAF as a possible site for perilymphatic leakage, representing an anatomical correlate for sudden unilateral SNHL. We recommend early exploratory tympanotomy with special attention to the bony region, anterior to the oval window, in cases of severe sudden SNHL and suspected FAF.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2016-03-12The Laryngoscope
https://doi.org/10.1002/lary.25922