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Delayed spontaneous return of hearing after acoustic tumor surgery: Evidence for cochlear nerve conduction block
Author(s) -
Kveton John F.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1288/00005537-199005000-00006
Subject(s) - medicine , cochlear nerve , efferent , facial nerve , hearing loss , audiology , anatomy , cochlea , afferent
Abstract Unlike the eventual resolution of facial paralysis in most patients with intact facial nerves, delayed hearing return after acoustic tumor resection is rare. This discrepancy in recovery has been ascribed to the inherent resilience of the facial nerve (a special visceral efferent nerve) to injury versus the cochlear nerve (a special somatic afferent nerve). In the presence of an intact cochlear nerve, hearing loss has been attributed to transection or spasm of the internal auditory artery or to direct mechanical trauma to the cochlear nerve during manipulation of the tumor. The possibility of a reversible conduction block in the cochlear nerve has not been considered. A review of three instances of delayed spontaneous hearing recovery several months after acoustic tumor resection suggests that a conduction block phenomenon can exist. This report describes the patho‐physiology and the possible intraoperative predisposing features of this condition.