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Labyrinthitis ossificans

Case contributed by Dalia Ibrahim
Diagnosis almost certain

Presentation

Right sensorineural hearing loss.

Patient Data

Age: 8 years
Gender: Male
mri

On the axial T2 WI FIESTA images there is loss of bright fluid signal of the right lateral, posterior and apical portions of the superior semicircular canals as well as the apical turn of the right cochlea.

ct

Ossification of the right lateral, posterior and superior semicircular canals as well as the apical turn of the cochlea.

Annotated image

Ossification of the right lateral, posterior and superior semicircular canals as well as the apical turn of the cochlea.

Case Discussion

Labyrinthitis ossificans, also known as labyrinthine ossification (LO), represents pathologic ossification of the membranous labyrinth as a response to an insult to the inner ear.

It most commonly results from an inflammatory process of the inner ear, but it can be associated with temporal bone trauma, temporal bones tumors or autoimmune inner ear disease.

It is usually associated with profound sensorineural hearing loss, and it may complicate or preclude cochlear implantation.

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