Sudden deafness with severe loss of cochlear neurons.
We report our postmortem findings in the temporal bones of a patient who, at the age of 13, after having had a cold, experienced a sudden and profound hearing loss in her right ear. She died of nasopharyngeal carcinoma at 41. The patient's right temporal bone showed a complete loss of cochlear neurons, but the organ of Corti was well-preserved. These findings indicate a primary degeneration of the cochlear nerve. The authors speculated that the possible cause of this sudden deafness was severe neuronitis of the cochlear nerve.
D000328:Adult; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000150:complications; D003051:Cochlea / Q000473:pathology*; D003638:Deafness / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007759:Labyrinth Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D009412:Nerve Fibers; D009925:Organ of Corti / Q000473:pathology