Introduction: Cochlear Implant surgery is a procedure to overcome the problem of severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss with no benefit from hearing aids. Although, it may cause postoperative changes of vestibular function. Vestibular evaluation is necessary to detect vestibular affection after surgery.
Aim: Vestibular evaluation in severe or severe to profound hearing loss children and cochlear implanted children by using Arabic Dizziness Handicap Inventory for children (DHI), vestibular bed-side tests for children and Rotatory chair testing..
Patients and Methods: This work included 60 children divided into three groups: group I (GI) consisted of 20 normal hearing children, group II (GII) consisted of 20 bilateral severe or severe to profound hearing loss children and group III (GIII) consisted of 20 unilateral cochlear implanted children. They were evaluated by full audiological evaluation, Arabic DHI for children, vestibular bed-side tests for children, Sinusoidal harmonic acceleration (SHA) and velocity step test (VST) of Rotatory Chair.
Results: This study showed significant affection in the Arabic DHI for children, Sharpened Romberg test and Fukuda Stepping test. Rotatory chair results in GII showed, ten children with unilateral peripheral vestibular affection and three children with bilateral vestibular affection. While GIII showed, eight children with unilateral peripheral vestibular affection ipsilateral to side of implantation and three children with bilateral vestibular affection.
Conclusion: Arabic DHI for children is a good valuable tool to detect parental observation of vestibular affection in children. Also, Rotatory chair test is a valid and non-invasive test for detection of vestibular affection in children.