Vestibular aqueduct

Vestibular aqueduct

Interior of right osseous labyrinth.

The cochlea and vestibule, viewed from above. (Aqueductus vestibuli labeled at bottom right.)
Details
Identifiers
Latin Aquaeductus vestibuli
MeSH A09.246.631.909.957
TA A15.3.03.057
FMA 77821

Anatomical terminology

At the hinder part of the medial wall of the vestibule is the orifice of the vestibular aqueduct, which extends to the posterior surface of the petrous portion of the temporal bone.[1]

It transmits a small vein, and contains a tubular prolongation of the membranous labyrinth, the ductus endolymphaticus, which ends in a cul-de-sac between the layers of the dura mater within the cranial cavity.

Pathology

Enlargement of the vestibular aqueduct to greater than 2 mm is associated with enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome, a disease entity that is associated with one-sided hearing loss in children. The diagnosis can be made by high resolution CT or MRI, with comparison to the adjacent posterior semicircular canal. If the vestibular aqueduct is larger in size, and the clinical presentation is consistent, the diagnosis can be made. Treatment is with mechanical hearing implants. There is an association with Pendred syndrome and incomplete cochlear partition (so called "Mondini dysplasia").[2]

Additional images

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

  1. "Enlarged Vestibular Aqueduct Syndrome".
  2. Atkin, J. S.; Grimmer, J. F.; Hedlund, G; Park, A. H. (2009). "Cochlear abnormalities associated with enlarged vestibular aqueduct anomaly". International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology. 73 (12): 1682–5. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2009.08.028. PMID 19775757.


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