Middle Ear Cholesteatoma and Vestibular Schwannoma Resection Followed by Cochlear Implant: Surgical Challenges and Audiological Outcomes

J Clin Med. 2023 Nov 17;12(22):7139. doi: 10.3390/jcm12227139.

Abstract

(1) Background: The occurrence of vestibular schwannoma (VS) associated with cholesteatoma is rare. A hearing impairment is one of the most significant issues in such cases. Moreover, the presence of middle and inner ear pathologies combined may represent a surgical challenge. No studies have described a combined surgical approach for these coexisting conditions (VS and cholesteatoma), nor the hearing rehabilitation outcomes of using cochlear implants for these patients. (2) Case Report: This paper is on a female patient who underwent simultaneous surgical treatments for VS and middle ear cholesteatoma in the right ear followed by a cochlear implant, describing the technique and the audiological results. (3) Conclusions: The surgical approach was successful and enabled the resection of lesions with the auditory nerve and cochlea preservation. Cochlear implantation in the right ear showed positive postoperative results, with an improvement in the results with the CI in silent and noisy environments.

Keywords: acoustic neuroma; cochlear implants; middle ear cholesteatoma; translabyrinthine approach; unilateral hearing loss; vestibular schwannoma.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.