Experience of sudden sensorineural hearing loss following a mild COVID-19 infection

Kim Gibson; John C C Ling; Micah Peters

doi:10.1136/bcr-2022-252899

Experience of sudden sensorineural hearing loss following a mild COVID-19 infection

BMJ Case Rep. 2023 Apr 13;16(4):e252899. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2022-252899.

Authors

Kim Gibson¹, John C C Ling², Micah Peters³

Affiliations

¹ Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre, UniSA Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Hawthorn, South Australia, Australia kim.gibson@unisa.edu.au.
² Specialists on Goodwood, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
³ Rosemary Bryant AO Research Centre, UniSA Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

Abstract

A woman in her 30s was referred to an otolaryngologist with an acute onset of aural fullness, noise sensitivity, unilateral sudden onset hearing loss, vertigo and tinnitus. She had a confirmed COVID-19 infection 5 weeks prior. A pure tone audiogram confirmed sensorineural hearing loss. MRI identified an empty sella of the pituitary gland and without an obvious cause for hearing loss. Oral prednisolone and betahistine were prescribed, and her audiovestibular symptoms slowly improved over the subsequent months. The patient continues to experience intermittent tinnitus.

Keywords: COVID-19; Ear, nose and throat/otolaryngology.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / complications
Female
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural* / diagnosis
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural* / drug therapy
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural* / etiology
Hearing Loss, Sudden* / diagnosis
Hearing Loss, Sudden* / drug therapy
Hearing Loss, Sudden* / etiology
Humans
Tinnitus* / drug therapy
Tinnitus* / etiology
Vertigo