J Korean Neurosurg Soc.  2002 Apr;31(4):319-324.

Hearing Loss after Surgery of Ruptured Cerebral Aneurysm

• Kang SD
• Jang CH
• Park JT

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
A few cases have been reported about hearing impairment after procedures of drainage of cerebrospinal fluid(CSF). In this study, the author discuss the pathogenesis of this complication.
METHODS
We investigated clinical and radiological findings of eight patients with hearing loss after clipping for ruptured aneurysm. The aneurysm was clipped easily after drainage of CSF for slack brain. The audiologic tests were postoperatively performed.
RESULTS
The patients were classified from Hunt-Hess grade II to III and a computerized tomogram showed diffuse subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH) in both sylvian cisterns and basal cisterns. Angiography revealed that the aneurysm was relatively far from the structures of auditory function. Pure-tone audiometry revealed unilateral or bilateral hearing loss that not only affected the low, but all frequencies. Complete recovery of hearing was found in five patients at three to six months after operation, whereas partial recovery in two cases and no improvement in one respectively.
CONCLUSION
We speculate that hearing loss following aneurysm surgery results from the drainage of CSF during operation. And it is also possible that a hemolabyrinth caused by an inflow of SAH through cochlear aqucduct could be an additive contributing factor to the induced impaired hearing.

Keyword

Hearing loss; Aneurysm Surgery; Loss of CSF

MeSH Terms

Aneurysm
Aneurysm, Ruptured
Angiography
Audiometry, Pure-Tone
Brain
Drainage
Hearing Loss*
Hearing Loss, Bilateral
Hearing*
Humans
Intracranial Aneurysm*