Bryan K. Ward · Frontiers in Neurology 2017 · narrative review · n=?

Superior Canal Dehiscence Syndrome: Lessons from the First 20 Years

Cited 292 times in the scientific literature.

Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data

Narrative review and expert perspective without systematic search methodology

OpenAlex W2608429579 · doi:10.3389/fneur.2017.00177 · record verified 2026-08-26

What was done

This is a narrative review summarizing the 20-year history, pathophysiology (third mobile window), diagnostic protocols (high-resolution computed tomography, physical examination, sensitive and specific diagnostic tests), and surgical management (occlusion of the superior semicircular canal) of superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome (SCDS), alongside proposed diagnostic criteria and future research directions.

What was found

The abstract provides no numerical data, sample sizes, or effect estimates. It qualitatively reports that SCDS presents with pressure- or sound-induced vertigo, bone conduction hyperacusis, and pulsatile tinnitus, and states that surgical occlusion of the superior semicircular canal has demonstrated efficacy.

Why it matters

The paper synthesizes two decades of clinical and pathophysiological developments in SCDS to propose standardized diagnostic criteria and summarize surgical approaches.

Limits

This is a narrative review lacking a systematic search protocol, meta-analytic pooling, or formal quality appraisal of cited literature. The abstract omits sample sizes, exact diagnostic accuracy metrics (e.g., sensitivity and specificity values), and quantified surgical success rates.

Cited by