Causes And Complications Of Fibrous Dysplasia

Hearing Loss

An individual's auditory canal is located in a part of the temporal bone in the skull. The nerve responsible for sending auditory information to the brain is called the vestibulocochlear nerve, and it is located in the internal auditory canal. Should a fibrous dysplasia patient develop a lesion on the temporal skull bone, it could change the way the vestibulocochlear nerve functions. The mild compression of this nerve can cause an individual to experience hearing impairment. However, severe compression of the vestibulocochlear nerve can cause it to become permanently damaged. Compression of the blood vessels that supply this nerve with oxygen and nutrients can also cause permanent damage to the function of the nerve. Should a fibrous growth in the temporal bone of the skull happen to cut off blood supply or cause compression damage to the vestibulocochlear nerve, the affected individual can experience the complete loss of their hearing in the affected ear. Depending on the extent of the damage to the nerve, the hearing loss may or may not be permanent.