The Prevalence of Conditions Potentially Associated with the Pathogenesis of Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence

Monday, October 13, 2025

8:18 AM - 8:24 AM EDT

Location: 244

Disclosure(s):

Ryan A. Bartholomew, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Carleton E. Corrales, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Introduction: The cause of superior canal dehiscence (SCD) remains unknown. Amongst a cohort of patients with SCD, we examined the prevalence of various comorbid conditions hypothesized to be associated with the pathogenesis of radiographic SCD.

Methods: A retrospective case-control study of adult patients with SCD identified on computed tomography (CT) within a metropolitan medical system was conducted. Case patients were identified from a previously published cohort of patients with SCD between 2016-2021. Diagnoses of osteoporosis, osteomalacia, osteopenia, vitamin D deficiency, hypocalcemia, Ehlers Danlos syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), history of head trauma, overweight (BMI 25-29), or obesity (BMI≥30) were determined by International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) diagnosis codes occurring within the two years prior to the SCD diagnosis. Differences in the prevalence of these disorders between SCD patients and age, sex and comorbidity matched (2:1) controls were statistically assessed.

Results: The study included 789 patients (263 cases, 526 matched controls) with a mean age of 54.0±13.6 years and consisted of 66.5% female patients. Amongst patients with SCD, significantly increased rates of osteoporosis (6.1% of cases vs 2.5% of controls), Ehlers Danlos syndrome (1.9% vs 0%), obstructive sleep apnea (12.5% vs 2.7%), head trauma history (3.8% vs 0.6%), overweight (6.5% vs 3%), and obesity diagnoses (14.4% vs 6.5%) were found (all p< 0.05). No significant differences were found for rates of osteomalacia, osteopenia, vitamin D deficiency, hypocalcemia, and IIH diagnoses.

Conclusions: Patients with radiographic SCD had significantly increased rates of many conditions hypothesized to be associated with its pathogenesis, suggesting potential metabolic and pressure-related etiologies for the development of anatomic SCD.

Presenting Author(s)

RB

Ryan A. Bartholomew, MD

Resident
Brigham & Women's Hospital/Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary/Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA, United States

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Co-Author(s)

Obinna I. Nwosu, MD

Resident Physician
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary/Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.
BW

Brigette Wang, Bachelors Degree

Harvard Medical School, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.
Marta M. Williams, MD

Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Resident
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.
Daniel J. Lee, MD, FACS

Associate Professor
MEEI
Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.
CC

Carleton E. Corrales, MD

Assistant Professor
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Newton, MA, United States

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Senior Author(s)

NB

Neil Bhattacharyya, MD

Professor
Mass Eye & Ear/Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.