SCIENCE UPDATE

New scientific studies summarized for you

CI and inner ear schwannomas

(Original paper: Cochlear implantation in patients with inner ear schwannomas: a systematic review and meta-analysis of audiological outcomes. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2024. Iannacone FP et al.)

Take-home message:

Patients with inner ear schwannomas (IES) benefit from cochlear implantation, both in terms of hearing and quality of life. In many cases, speech understanding is above average.

Postoperative follow-up MRI examinations are still possible with CI in situ.

Background:

Cochlear implantation in IES cases has surged in the past decade as a method to restore hearing. This study examined the hearing performance and CI benefits in this patient cohort.

Method:

• Published literature search on Pubmed
• 110 patients (111 ears) from 27 reports
• 5 classifications of tumour location, 3 Subgroups:
• Speech tests for monosyllables, disyllables, multisyllables, and sentences
• Monosyllables, disyllables and sentence recognition <50% was rated as below average hearing performance

Results:

The mean recognition score for monosyllables was 55%, and 71% for sentences, which resembles the results of cochlear implant recipients with other causes of hearing loss.

The subgroup of patients with sporadic IES and the subset of CI patients with tumour removal scored slightly better than average in sentences (76%). In contrast, CI patients whose tumour was not removed scored lower (61%).

Cochlear implantation was most frequently performed with simultaneous tumour removal. This treatment option showed a trend towards better hearing performance.

Patients with more complex or NF-2-related tumours were likely to show poorer performance than average, yet still benefitted from cochlear implantation.

Full text link: Cochlear implantation in patients with inner ear schwannomas: a systematic review and meta-analysis of audiological outcomes | European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology (springer.com)