Improvement of sudden bilateral hearing loss after vertebral artery stenting

J Neurointerv Surg. 2016 Mar;8(3):e12. doi: 10.1136/neurintsurg-2014-011595.rep. Epub 2015 Feb 24.

Abstract

Bilateral deafness is a rare but possible symptom of vertebrobasilar ischemia. We report a case of sudden bilateral sensorineural hearing loss caused by bilateral vertebral artery (VA) occlusion which dramatically improved after stenting. A 54-year-old man was admitted with sudden onset of bilateral deafness, vertigo, and drowsy mental status. Brain diffusion-weighted MRI showed acute infarction involving both the posterior inferior cerebellar artery and left posterior cerebral artery territory. Cerebral angiography showed bilateral distal VA occlusion, and emergency intracranial stenting was performed in the left VA. After reperfusion therapy his symptoms gradually improved, including hearing impairment. Endovascular stenting may be helpful in a patient with sudden deafness caused by bilateral VA occlusion.

Keywords: Intervention; Stent; Stroke.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Hearing Loss, Bilateral / diagnostic imaging
  • Hearing Loss, Bilateral / etiology*
  • Hearing Loss, Bilateral / surgery*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Stents*
  • Vertebral Artery / diagnostic imaging
  • Vertebral Artery / surgery*
  • Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency / complications*
  • Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency / diagnostic imaging
  • Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency / surgery*