Hearing loss associated with large internal auditory meatus: a report of five paediatric cases

This paper describes the abnormality of a large internal auditory meatus (L IAM). Computed tomography (CT) scans show the otic capsule to be affected b y a widened, bulbar internal auditory meatus with loss of or reduction of t he bony wall dividing the lateral fundus of the meatus from the cochlea. Th e vestibule is abnormally dilated. We report five cases of children with LI AM and profound hearing loss. Three of these children are girls and two chi ldren were boys. Three had congenital progressive hearing loss, one of thes e had an accompanying large vestibular aqueduct and dysplasia of the cochle a. Two patients had had meningitis resulting in profound loss.