Large vestibular aqueduct syndrome treated by hyperbaric oxygen

We report the case of a 14-year-old girl with a large vestibular aqueduct (LVA) in whom hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy was effective for the treatment of sensorineural hearing loss. The patient was referred to Nagoya University Hospital for the treatment of hearing loss on 14 September, 1998, because her right hearing level had declined abruptly on 22 August, 1998, and had not changed for 3 weeks since then in spite of steroid and prostaglandin therapy. Her audiogram revealed bilateral profound deafness of more than 110 dB. She had had profound hearing loss on the left side since she was 9 years old. HBO therapy was performed on 22 occasions from 17 September until 19 October, 1998. During the HBO therapy, her right hearing ability returned almost to the level determined prior to the abrupt loss, 60 dB. We therefore recommend HBO therapy for the treatment of sensorineural hearing loss associated with large vestibular aqueduct syndrome if the hearing ability does not recover following conventional treatment.