title: Sensorineural hearing loss complicating severe rickettsial diseases: report of two cases.
abstract: Sub-acute focal neurological manifestations are reported rarely in systemic rickettsial diseases and are considered to be secondary to immune-mediated mechanisms. We present two cases of transient sensorineural hearing loss complicating the course of severe rickettsial diseases caused by Rickettsia typhi and Rickettsia conorii, respectively. The diagnosis was based on the presence of high IgM antibodies and the prompt response to doxycycline treatment. In both cases, hearing loss presented during convalescence and resolved automatically without administration of specific treatment.
authors.affiliation: 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, University of Athens, Hippocratio Hospital, Vasilissis Sofias 114 Avenue, 11527 Athens, Greece. tsiacmed@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Dimitris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tsiachris
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deutsch
authors.forename: Dimitris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vassilopoulos
authors.forename: Rodessa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zafiropoulou
authors.forename: Athanasios J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Archimandritis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001907:Boutonneuse Fever / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D004318:Doxycycline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003639:Hearing Loss, Sudden / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020114:Rickettsia conorii / Q000276:immunology; D012286:Rickettsia typhi / Q000276:immunology; D014437:Typhus, Endemic Flea-Borne / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D004318:Doxycycline