Post Meningitis Hearing Threshold Improvement and Cochlear Implantation: A Case Report

A 4 years old boy developed a progressive hearing loss (HL) starting 3 weeks after Neisseria Meningitidis type B meningitis leading to a severe and profound degree on both ears. For the prospective risk of cochlear ossification, bilateral cochlear implantation (CI) was performed with optimal auditory-speech perception outcome achievement.

Unaided hearing threshold began to show fluctuations and improvement up to a moderate HL on the left ear, starting 4 months after meningitis and continuing for years post CI surgery.

In order to explore the residual cochlear function, an exclusively acoustic amplification was fitted on the improved left side 5 years post implantation. Audiological testing showed very satisfactory discrimination outcomes with acoustic amplification demonstrate that a good cochlear function has been preserved in this case.

A certain degree of hearing recovery may be expected after meningitis related deafness.

Moreover, this case example encourages surgeons and CI technology researchers to intensely explore techniques, therapies and technological solutions that can facilitate the preservation of inner ear structure and the still existing cochlear function during and after CI surgery in order to leave open the opportunities of new strategies adoption