[Lightning strike to a vehicle causing acute acoustic trauma].
The cochlea and vestibular organ is often affected in lightning strikes. A lightning strike to a motor vehicle with cochlear injury has not been described hitherto in the literature. We report the case of a 44-year-old male patient with sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus after his car was struck by lightning. While hearing loss recovered using intravenous therapy, tinnitus persisted 6 months after the lightning strike. Cochlear injuries as an acute acoustic trauma have to be considered in lightning strikes and can occur when a car is struck by lightning.
Angerer
F
F
Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Klinik, Kopf- und Halschirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen.
Hoppe
U
U
Schick
B
B
D000328:Adult; D003051:Cochlea / Q000293:injuries*; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D015168:Lightning Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D009622:Noise; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*