Auditory rehabilitation in neurofibromatosis type 2: a case for cochlear implantation

Cochlear implantation has a limited but definite role in the rehabilitation of certain neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) patients. The presence of a dead ear either before, or after, tumour removal does not necessarily imply los s of function in the eighth nerve; in some instances the hearing loss will be cochlear. Promontory or round window electrical stimulation may help to identify those individuals with surviving eighth nerve function. In such pa tients multichannel cochlear implantation promises a better level of auditi on than the auditory brain stem implant. This paper highlights such a case and the management problems are discussed.