TITLE:
Stapes Agenesis and Oval Window Atresia with Anomalous Facial Nerve Path: Case Report
AUTHORS:
João Vitor Lopes Montes, Francisco Barbosa de Araújo Neto, Arthur Castelo Rocha, Dárvylla de Sousa Lima, Tarsila Stockler Ravaschieri Martinolli, Rafael de Oliveira Sousa, Matheus Cardoso Aragão, Natalia Martins Bilia, Antônio Victor Gouveia Azevedo Santos, Beatriz Parente Viana, Evisa Christal Oliveira de Paula Cruz, Sabino Rodrigues de Oliveira
KEYWORDS:
Middle Ear, Hearing Loss, Stapes, Oval Window, Facial Nerve, Computed Tomography
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Medical Imaging,
Vol.15 No.3,
September
17,
2025
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Middle ear malformations are considered the main causes of hearing loss, and both the origins and the correlation of middle ear structures are not yet fully understood. Objectives and Methods: description of a tomographic study of a case of bilateral hearing loss. Results and Discussions: The study shows the absence of stapes with bilateral oval window atresia, associated with facial nerves with anomalous paths, medialized and positioned adjacent to the expected site for the oval windows. Conclusion: This study demonstrated a possible relationship between the embryogenesis of the stapes and its positioning in the proper formation of the oval window, as well as the correlation of these structures with the anatomical path of the facial nerve through the topography of the middle ear.