Is there a difference between vestibular aqueduct syndrome and enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome?
Please describe the medical and audiologic presentation that is most often related to this syndrome, diagnosis, and management/treatment options. I believe the conditions you describe, ”vestibular aqueduct syndrome” and ”enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome”, are one and the same. The syndrome is related to a congenital malformation of the inner ear (an enlarged channel from the endolymphatic sac – which is itself abnormally large – to the vestibular labyrinth). As such, presentation is usually in children and younger adults. The typical clinical presentation of the enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome is progressive ”stepwise” hearing loss, usually following a blow to the head. The blow need not be severe for the hearing loss to occur. I have seen bilateral presentations in children presenting with progressive hearing loss. Additionally, I recall a middle-aged woman with no prior history of hearing loss, who accidentally banged her head against her child’s head during a snowba
