title: Bilateral deafness as a prodromal symptom of basilar artery occlusion.
abstract: Bilateral deafness is a rare but possible symptom for ischemia of the vertebrobasilar system, primarily derived from occlusion of anterior inferior cerebellar arteries or their branches. Patients 1 and 2 developed sudden bilateral deafness, soon followed by coma. The proximal segment of the basilar artery was occluded due to atherothrombosis in Patient 1 and arterial dissection in Patient 2. Thrombolytic therapy failed to recanalize the basilar arterial flow. Both patients died of extensive infarction in the vertebrobasilar arterial territory. Sudden bilateral deafness can be a warning sign of imminent brainstem ischemia by occlusion of the basilar artery regardless of age. Prompt and intensive management for stroke is needed for patients with sudden bilateral deafness.
authors.affiliation: Stroke Center, Fukuoka Red Cross Hospital, 3-1-1 Okusu, Minami-ku, Fukuoka 815-8555, Fukuoka, Japan. k-toyoda@mb6.seikyou.ne.jp
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Toyoda
authors.forename: Teruyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kumai
authors.forename: Kenichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Shinsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kiritoshi
authors.forename: Setsuro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ibayashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015901:Angiography, Digital Subtraction; D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015984:Causality; D003128:Coma / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D003638:Deafness / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator; D014715:Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator