Imaging of Pediatric Hearing Loss

Hearing loss in children is a prevalent disability, affecting 1 in 1000 neonates and up to 11% of school-aged children. Imaging plays a key role in the evaluation of conductive and SNHL with multiple modalities including CT and MR imaging. The purpose of this article is to review the anatomy and pathology resulting in conductive and SNHL through an imaging approach. The pathology of pediatric hearing loss includes multiple causes of both osseous and nonosseous abnormalities, which can be categorized into congenital, infectious/inflammatory, and neoplastic processes. The recognition of complex anatomy and pathology of the ear can place the radiologist in a key position in the diagnosis and overall evaluation of pediatric hearing loss and, ultimately, contribute to the management of the patient.