title: Isolated contralateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss: an unusual manifestation of pontine infarct.
abstract: Unilateral, acute onset sensorineural hearing loss ("sudden sensorineural hearing loss" [SSNHL]) as an isolated event without other associated neurological deficits usually results from a lesion of the cochlea. Lesions in the ascending central auditory pathways cranial to the cochlear nucleus seldom result in unilateral hearing loss due to decussation of the central auditory pathways at multiple levels. We describe a patient with a tiny acute infarct in the right pons resulting in isolated acute onset left-sided SSHNL, without any other associated acute neurological deficits.
authors.affiliation: University of Virginia Health System; Charlottesville, VA, USA - sm5qd@virginia.edu.
authors.forename: Thomas Jose Eluvathingal
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Muttikkal
authors.affiliation: University of Virginia Health System; Charlottesville, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Bradley W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Kesser
authors.affiliation: University of Virginia Health System; Charlottesville, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Sugoto
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mukherjee
mesh_terms: D020526:Brain Stem Infarctions / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D003639:Hearing Loss, Sudden / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011149:Pons / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
keywords: auditory pathways; hearing loss; stroke