Clinical Characteristics of Posterior and Lateral Semicircular Canal Dehiscence

Marko Spasic; Andy Trang; Lawrance K Chung; Nolan Ung; Kimberly Thill; Golmah Zarinkhou; Quinton S Gopen; Isaac Yang

doi:10.1055/s-0035-1551667

Clinical Characteristics of Posterior and Lateral Semicircular Canal Dehiscence

J Neurol Surg B Skull Base. 2015 Dec;76(6):421-5. doi: 10.1055/s-0035-1551667. Epub 2015 May 29.

Authors

Marko Spasic¹, Andy Trang¹, Lawrance K Chung¹, Nolan Ung¹, Kimberly Thill¹, Golmah Zarinkhou¹, Quinton S Gopen², Isaac Yang³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurosurgery, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States.
² Division of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States.
³ Department of Neurosurgery, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States ; UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the characteristic symptoms of and treatments for lateral semicircular canal dehiscence (LSCD) and posterior semicircular canal dehiscence (PSCD) and its proposed mechanism. A dehiscence acquired in any of the semicircular canals may evoke various auditory symptoms (autophony and inner ear conductive hearing loss) or vestibular symptoms (vertigo, the Tullio phenomenon, and Hennebert sign) by creating a "third mobile window" in the bone that enables aberrant communication between the inner ear and nearby structures. A PubMed search was performed using the keywords lateral, posterior, and semicircular canal dehiscence to identify all relevant cases. Our data suggest that PSCD, although clinically rare, is most likely associated with a high-riding jugular bulb and fibrous dysplasia. Patients may experience auditory manifestations that range from mild conductive to extensive sensorineural hearing loss. LSCD is usually associated with chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma.

Keywords: autophony; lateral semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome; posterior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome; superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome; vertigo.