title: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss as prodromal symptom of anterior inferior cerebellar artery infarction.
abstract: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is a clinical condition characterized by a sudden onset of unilateral or bilateral hearing loss. In recent years sudden deafness has been frequently described in association with anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) infarction generally presenting along with other brainstem and cerebellar signs such as ataxia, dysmetria and peripheral facial palsy. The authors report a rare clinical case of a 53-year-old man who suddenly developed hearing loss and tinnitus without any brainstem or cerebellar signs. Computed tomography of his brain was normal, and the audiological results localized the lesion causing deafness to the inner ear. Surprisingly, magnetic resonance imaging showed an ischemic infarct in the right AICA territory. This case represents the fifth in the literature to date but it confirms that AICA occlusion can cause sudden deafness even without brainstem or cerebellar signs. Therefore, we recommend submitting the patient for neuroimaging, as an emergency, in order to exclude infarction of the AICA territory. By doing this, it may be possible to limit the extent of the lesion by commencing early therapy.
authors.affiliation: Sezione di Otorinolaringoiatria, Dipartimento di Biomedicina Sperimentale e Neuroscienze Cliniche, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italia.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martines
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dispenza
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gagliardo
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martines
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bentivegna
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D002526:Cerebellar Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014715:Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology