A Case of Cochlear Implantation in a Patient With Intracochlear Schwannoma

Intralabyrinthine schwannomas are rare benign tumors, which arise from neural portions within the labyrinth. These are subclassified into seven groups according to the affected inner ear structures. Intracochlear schwannomas (ICS) are tumors confined to the cochlea, and these can cause progressive unilateral sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo and aural fullness. Here, we report a 49-year-old female patient with left sudden sensorineural hearing loss. There was no improvement of hearing despite steroid and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Space occupying lesion in the basal turn of the left cochlea was identified in MRI with enhancement. She underwent tumor removal through an extended round window approach, and cochlear implantation was performed successfully. This is the first case report of cochlear implantation after tumor removal in a patient with ICS in Korea, and we discuss management options with a review of the literature.