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Case Reports
. 2025 May;282(5):2761-2765.
doi: 10.1007/s00405-024-09196-6. Epub 2025 Feb 1.

Pediatric pneumolabyrinth: managing otologic trauma

António Andrade  1   2 , Patrícia Silva Sousa  3   4   5 , José Maria Sousa  6 , Gil Coutinho  1   2 , Pedro Valente  1   2 , Ricardo Vaz  1   7   8 , Carla Pinto Moura  1   9   10 , Pedro Marques  1   2 , Jorge Spratley  1   2   8
Affiliations
Case Reports

Pediatric pneumolabyrinth: managing otologic trauma

António Andrade et al. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2025 May.

Abstract

Introduction: Penetrating middle ear trauma-induced pneumolabyrinth is an exceedingly rare finding in pediatric patients. This condition can lead to significant hearing and vestibular dysfunction. We present two pediatric cases, highlighting their clinical complexity.

Cases presentation: Case 1 presented a 9-year-old boy with hearing loss, vertigo, and vomiting following a penetrating trauma to the left ear. Surgical exploration revealed ossicular chain disruption and perilymphatic fistula, which were repaired. Despite initial recovery, he developed ossifying labyrinthitis and required cochlear implantation. Case 2 described a 15-year-old boy who had right-sided hearing loss and vertigo after right ear trauma. Conservative management resulted in improvement of vestibular symptoms, but the profound hearing loss remained. The family declined cochlear implantation, due to the patient's athletic activities.

Conclusions: Penetrating trauma-induced pneumolabyrinth in pediatric patients is extremely rare. These cases demonstrate the importance of tailored treatment approaches and vigilant follow-up to optimize auditory and vestibular outcomes.

Keywords: Cochlear implantation; Middle ear trauma; Ossifying labyrinthitis; Pediatric; Pneumolabyrinth.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Data confidentiality: The authors declare that they followed the protocols of their work in the publication of patients’ data. Ethical approval: The authors declare that the followed procedures were according to the regulations established by the Ethics and Clinical Research Committee and the Helsinki Declaration of the World Medical Association. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest regarding this article.

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