Imaging in children with hearing loss

Background Since the introduction of hearing screening in Germany in 2009, pediatric hearing disorders are detected at an early stage. Early therapy is essential for language development. Imaging plays a central role in diagnosis and therapy planning. Method Imaging findings of the most relevant causes of pediatric hearing disorders are presented. Specific attention is given to the method used in each case - CT or MRI. Results and Conclusions While CT is the method of choice for conductive hearing loss, a combination of CT and MRI with high-resolution T2-3D sequences has been established as the best diagnostic method for sensorineural hearing loss. The most common causes of conductive hearing loss in childhood are chronic inflammation and cholesteatoma. Congenital malformations of the outer or middle ear are less frequent. In the case of sensorineural hearing loss, the cause is located in the inner ear and/ or the cochlear nerve or the cerebrum. In these cases, congenital malformations are the most common cause.