[Acute hearing loss from scuba-diving holidays: diagnosis and treatment of barotrauma of the inner ear].
A 35-year-old diver noticed hearing loss and tinnitus after his diving holiday. He presented to the Lübeck clinical practice for divers, and we found vascular injections on the eardrum. Audiometry showed a high-degree hearing loss of 40-60 dB. Under the assumption of a perilymphatic fistula, we performed a tympanoscopy with covering of the oval and round windows. Bone-conduction hearing improved immediately postoperatively to 25 dB. A postoperative rheological infusion treatment was given. After 6 months the diver was assessed fit to dive with almost normal inner ear function.
Brocks
C
C
Klinik und Poliklinik für Hals, Nasen- und Ohrenheilkunde und plastische Operationen, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck, Lübeck, Deutschland. carsten.brocks@uk-sh.de
Wollenberg
B
B
Graefe
H
H
D000328:Adult; D001469:Barotrauma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D004242:Diving / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000293:injuries*; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008876:Middle Ear Ventilation; D013812:Therapeutics; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery