Preoperative cranial computed tomography in pediatric cochlear implantation: clinical necessity or optional step?

OBJECTIVES: Due to growing evidence regarding the risks of ionizing radiation, especially in children, some centers now perform cochlear implantation (CI) without a preoperative computed tomography (CT) scan, relying solely on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This study evaluates the necessity and safety of omitting CT scans before bilateral CI in children.

Continue reading at PubMed →

Findings may support selective rather than routine use of preoperative cranial CT in pediatric cochlear implantation, but clinicians should await full data review before changing imaging protocols — especially where MRI alternatives are available.

Reducing unnecessary ionizing radiation exposure in children is a meaningful safety priority, and evidence guiding selective CT use in cochlear implant surgery could directly reshape preoperative imaging standards.

1. 01Study questions whether preoperative cranial CT is always necessary before pediatric cochlear implantation.
2. 02Ionizing radiation from CT scans poses documented risks in children, motivating this evaluation.
3. 03Findings could support a more selective imaging approach rather than universal CT.
4. 04MRI is an alternative with no ionizing radiation but has different anatomical resolution trade-offs.
5. 05Published in Frontiers in Neurology (2026).

PMID

42996190

DOI

10.3389/fneur.2026.1981222.

Journal

Frontiers in Neurology

Publication type

research_article

Evidence level

2b

Population

Pediatric cochlear implant candidates

Intervention

Preoperative cranial computed tomography (CT)

Comparator

No CT / alternative imaging (e.g., MRI)