Objectives
The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of CSF gusher during cochlear implantation
in children with and without congenital inner-ear malformation and to establish a simple
stepwise algorithm for managing CSF gusher at the time of cochleostomy.
Materials and methods
A total of 54 congenitally deaf children were included in a retrospective study between January
2011 and December 2012. All cases underwent classical cochlear implantation surgeries
via mastoidectomy and posterior tympanostomy approach.
Results
Nine patients developed gusher at the time of the cochleostomy. Among the nine cases, only
one child did not show any preoperative radiologic evidence of any bony cochleovestibular
malformation, whereas the remaining eight cases had different congenital inner-ear malformations
with known risk for intraoperative gusher during surgery.
Conclusion
We concluded that the CSF gusher is a surgical difficulty or an intraoperative challenge
rather than a bad prognostic determinate for the postoperative audiologic performance, and
in cases of congenital cochleovestibular malformation that develop gusher, a high degree of
congenital anomaly of the cochlea, and not the degree or the amount of gusher, is correlated
to the poor patient performance. Finally, we were able to achieve a simple stepwise algorithm
for the management of gusher during cochlear implantation.
Keywords:
cerebrospinal fluid gusher, cochlear implantation, common cavity malformation, large vestibular
aqueduct syndrome, wide internal auditory meatus