Pollaers Katherine, Broadbent Christopher, Kuthubutheen Jafri
Ear Nose and Throat Department, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Department of Otolaryngology Head Neck and Skull Base Surgery, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.
BMJ Case Rep. 2019 Mar 20;12(3):e228207. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2018-228207.
A 24-year-old man sustained significant injuries as a result of a motor bicycle accident. CT scans demonstrated multiple intracranial injuries including bilateral temporal bone fractures. On emergence from sedation, the patient reported right-sided hearing loss which was attributed to ossicular chain disruption after the incus was found to be in the external auditory canal. Unexpectedly, the initial conductive hearing loss resolved with conservative management and an ossicular chain reconstruction was not required. This is an unusual case of impressive long-term good hearing outcomes following complete dislocation of the incus and extrusion from the middle ear.