Differences in cochlear duct length between women and men

Introduction In order to ensure an individual cochlear implant (CI) fitting, radiologically supported preoperative measurements of the cochlea are available. One possibility is the Otoplan software, which can be used to determine the optimal electrode array length before implantation. The aim of this retrospective study is to use Otoplan to investigate whether the length of the cochlear duct differs between women and men.

Method Retrospective computed tomography (CT) DICOM datasets of patients with Otoplan who were fitted with a MedEL-CI at the ENT clinic of the University Hospital Frankfurt from 2018 to date were measured. The cochlear parameters examined were: diameter (A), height (H), width (B) and length of the cochlear duct (CDL). The difference was considered significant if the p-value was<0.05.

Results 139 measurements (55 males, 84 females) were included in this study. The median variation between the sexes was 0.23mm (F:9.15mm; M:9.38mm), for diameter (A), 0.08mm (F:4.17mm; M:4.25mm) for height (H) and 0.17mm (F:6.73mm; M:6.90mm) for width (B). The length of the cochlear duct calculated by the program varied by a median of 0.94mm (F:35.58mm; M:36.51mm). The diameter and width of the cochlea as well as the length of the cochlear duct were significantly greater in the men (p<0.05), while there was no significant difference for the height (p-value=0.143).

Conclusion Men had a longer cochlear duct in this study. In order to achieve an insertion up to the apex of the cochlea, it therefore makes sense to use longer electrode arrays when fitting cochlearimplants to men.

 

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Publication History

Article published online:
19 April 2024