15 KiB
title, docid, authors, breadcrumbs, category, documentVersionId, imageCount, lastUpdated, pageDescription, pageKeywords, pageTitle, enhancedTitle, type, references, breadcrumbs
| title | docid | authors | breadcrumbs | category | documentVersionId | imageCount | lastUpdated | pageDescription | pageKeywords | pageTitle | enhancedTitle | type | references | breadcrumbs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small IAC | 9323a206-e7c6-4213-8493-7870b51c6adf |
|
|
Head and Neck | 590b726c-a68d-4f79-b2e1-e7bb638eaaa9 | 11 | 07/17/24 | Small IAC | Head and Neck, Differential Diagnosis, CPA-IAC and Posterior Fossa, Anatomically Based Differentials, Small IAC | Small IAC | STATdx | Small IAC | DDX | true |
|
title: "Small IAC" docid: "9323a206-e7c6-4213-8493-7870b51c6adf" authors:
- key: "d19354f3-7ff2-495a-ad3f-064122e45602" value: "Bernadette L. Koch, MD" breadcrumbs:
- name: "Head and Neck" slug: "head-and-neck" treeNodeId: "ed24ed8c-5d57-4629-879b-447b82d2973d"
- name: "Differential Diagnosis" slug: "differential-diagnosis" treeNodeId: "40d68862-8975-4dde-ac2b-ebc43ab0fb5c"
- name: "CPA-IAC and Posterior Fossa" slug: "cpa-iac-and-posterior-fossa" treeNodeId: "c590eedb-4a3b-4158-a04f-ad880564c992"
- name: "Anatomically Based Differentials" slug: "anatomically-based-differentials" treeNodeId: "debfb06c-8656-4f5d-92c1-eaa468185d78"
- name: "Small IAC" slug: "small-iac" treeNodeId: null category: "Head and Neck" documentVersionId: "590b726c-a68d-4f79-b2e1-e7bb638eaaa9" imageCount: 11 lastUpdated: "07/17/24" pageDescription: "Small IAC" pageKeywords: "Head and Neck, Differential Diagnosis, CPA-IAC and Posterior Fossa, Anatomically Based Differentials, Small IAC" pageTitle: "Small IAC | STATdx" enhancedTitle: "Small IAC" type: "DDX" references: true breadcrumbs:
- "Head and Neck"
- "Differential Diagnosis"
- "CPA-IAC and Posterior Fossa"
- "Anatomically Based Differentials"
- "Small IAC"
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION
-
Key Differential Diagnosis Issues
- Small internal auditory canal (IAC) ≤ 2****mm diameter - CT for bony anatomy; MR to evaluate CNVII & CNVIII components & brainstem anatomy - Occasional duplicated IAC: Partial or complete separation of IAC into 2 stenotic canals - Superior canal transmits CNVII ± superior vestibular nerve (VN); inferior canal transmits inferior ± superior VN ± hypoplastic cochlear nerve
- Small IAC with cochlear nerve canal (CNC) stenosis/aplasia & hypoplastic/absent cochlear nerve - Unilateral finding in otherwise normal T-bone suggests nonsyndromic unilateral congenital sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) - Bilateral finding with small horizontal semicircular canal (SCC) bone islands suggests trisomy 21 - Small vestibule & small/absent SCC suggests CHARGE syndrome
- Severe inner ear anomaly: Cochlear aplasia, common cavity malformation, or cystic cochleovestibular anomaly - Look for coexistent pontine/brainstem anomaly - Occasional unusual origin & course of CNVII ± CNVIII hypoplasia/aplasia
-
Helpful Clues for Common Diagnoses
- Trisomy 21 - Small bone island horizontal SCC or globular vestibule & horizontal SCC - Stenotic CNC, thickened modiolus ± small IAC, hypoplastic/absent cochlear nerve
- Aplasia-Hypoplasia of Cochlear Nerve & Cochlear Nerve Canal - Common finding in unilateral congenital SNHL - Narrowed/absent CNC & thickened modiolus ± small IAC, hypoplastic/absent cochlear nerve
-
Helpful Clues for Less Common Diagnoses
- CHARGE Syndrome - Small vestibule & hypoplastic/absent SCC - Variable cochlear segmentation deficiency - Narrowed/absent CNC, thickened modiolus, & small IAC - Hypoplasia/aplasia of some/all CNVIII components
-
Helpful Clues for Rare Diagnoses
- Cystic Cochleovestibular Malformation (IP-I) - Cochlea lacks internal septation/modiolus - Globular vestibule & horizontal SCC ± stenotic/absent CNC ± small IAC
- Common Cavity Malformation - Single primitive sac ± small IAC
- Cochlear Hypoplasia - Small cochlea < 2 turns, CNC stenosis/atresia ± variable malformation SCC & vestibule - ± small IAC, obtuse angle anterior genu of CNVII canal
- Cochlear Aplasia - Absent cochlea ± malformation of SCC & vestibule - Malformation of SCC & vestibule variable, mild to severe - ± small IAC, obtuse angle anterior genu of CNVII canal
- T-Bone Fibrous Dysplasia - Progressive ground-glass fibroosseous thickening → IAC narrowing
- Craniometaphyseal Dysplasia - Progressive osseous IAC narrowing
References
Selected References
- da Costa Monsanto R et al: Otopathologic abnormalities in CHARGE syndrome. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 166(2):363-72, 2021
- Dewyer NA et al: Pediatric single-sided deafness: a review of prevalence, radiologic findings, and cochlear implant candidacy. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 131(3):233-8, 2021
- O'Brien WT , Sr et al: Nonsyndromic congenital causes of sensorineural hearing loss in children: an illustrative review. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1-8, 2021
- Ginat DT: Imaging findings in syndromes with temporal bone abnormalities. Neuroimaging Clin N Am. 29(1):117-28, 2019
- Tahir E et al: Bony cochlear nerve canal and internal auditory canal measures predict cochlear nerve status. J Laryngol Otol. 131(8):676-83, 2017
- Kenna MA et al: Temporal bone abnormalities in children with GJB2 mutations. Laryngoscope. 121(3):630-5, 2011
- Morimoto AK et al: Absent semicircular canals in CHARGE syndrome: radiologic spectrum of findings. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 27(8):1663-71, 2006
Images
Selected Images
Trisomy 21
Axial bone CT in an infant with trisomy 21 and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) shows a small internal auditory canal (IAC)
. The cochlear nerve canal (CNC) is absent. There is a mildly small horizontal semicircular canal (SCC) bone island
.
Trisomy 21
Axial bone CT in an infant with trisomy 21 and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) shows a small internal auditory canal (IAC)
. The cochlear nerve canal (CNC) is absent. There is a mildly small horizontal semicircular canal (SCC) bone island
.
Aplasia-Hypoplasia of Cochlear Nerve & Cochlear Nerve Canal
Sagittal oblique T2 MR images of the bilateral IACs (right on the left and left on the right) shows a significantly smaller right IAC
compared to the left, and nonvisualization of the cochlear nerve
. Notice the normal left cochlear nerve
.
CHARGE Syndrome
Coronal bone CT reformat in a 7-year-old girl with CHD7 mutation shows a small IAC
, diminutive vestibule
, and absent SCC. Facial nerve canal
overlies the atretic oval window with fusion to malformed stapes. There is an emissary vein indenting the tegmen tympani
.
Cystic Cochleovestibular Malformation (IP-I)
Axial bone CT in a 10-year-old girl with SNHL shows small IACs
and a globular right vestibule and horizontal SCC
. The right cochlea (not shown) lacked internal septation (IP-I). A hypoplastic, isolated left cochlea
is also seen.
Cochlear Aplasia
Axial 3D T2 SPACE MR in a child with SNHL shows cochlear aplasia, a globular vestibule, and a horizontal SCC
. There is a narrow, malformed IAC
with a vestibular nerve noted posteriorly.
Cochlear Aplasia
Oblique sagittal T2 SPACE MR in the same child shows a narrow IAC
containing only a single normal-sized cranial nerve (CNVIII vestibular branch)
and a possible hypoplastic CNVII anteriorly.
T-Bone Fibrous Dysplasia
Axial bone CT in a teenage boy with polyostotic fibrous dysplasia and precocious puberty (McCune-Albright syndrome) shows severe involvement of the skull base with ground-glass opacification. The middle ear spaces
, IACs
, and other foramina are small. Note relative otic capsule sparing.
Craniometaphyseal Dysplasia
Axial bone CT in a young man with craniometaphyseal dysplasia shows bony overgrowth of the skull base with small middle ear spaces, ossicular fusion
, and small inner ear structures and IACs
.
Additional Images
Aplasia-Hypoplasia of Cochlear Nerve & Cochlear Nerve Canal
Axial 3D T2 SPACE MR in a teenager with SNHL shows small IACs
. The right CNC is stenotic
; the left is absent. The modioli are thickened
. The vestibular nerves and pons
are hypoplastic.
Aplasia-Hypoplasia of Cochlear Nerve & Cochlear Nerve Canal
Axial bone CT in a child with profound SNHL shows a small IAC
and hypoplasia of the CNC
. There is also a mildly large vestibular aqueduct
. MR should be obtained in order to assess for aplasia or hypoplasia of the cranial nerve.
T-Bone Fibrous Dysplasia
Axial T2WI MR in a teenage boy with polyostotic fibrous dysplasia and precocious puberty (McCune-Albright syndrome) shows severe involvement of the skull with fibrous dysplasia that appears hypointense
on T2WI. The IACs are small
due to progressive involvement of surrounding bone by fibrous dysplasia.