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Cranial nerve VIII involvement in a patient with progressive systemic sclerosis
Said B Iskandar1, Stephen Loyd, Thomas M Roy
1Department of Internal Medicine, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, USA.
Tennessee Medicine : Journal of the Tennessee Medical Association
|April 2, 2004
Summary
Systemic sclerosis, a connective tissue disorder, can rarely affect cranial nerves. This case highlights eighth cranial nerve involvement causing sensorineural hearing loss in a patient with CREST syndrome.
Area of Science:
- Rheumatology
- Neurology
- Otolaryngology
Background:
- Systemic sclerosis is a multisystem connective tissue disease marked by widespread fibrosis.
- Cranial nerve involvement is infrequent, typically affecting the trigeminal nerve.
Observation:
- An elderly woman presented with sensorineural hearing loss.
- She was subsequently diagnosed with the CREST syndrome variant of progressive systemic sclerosis.
Findings:
- This case represents a rare instance of eighth cranial nerve (vestibulocochlear nerve) involvement in scleroderma.
- The patient's sensorineural hearing loss was attributed to this rare neurological complication.
Implications:
- This case expands the understanding of potential neurological manifestations in systemic sclerosis and CREST syndrome.
- Highlights the importance of considering cranial nerve involvement, including auditory pathways, in patients with systemic sclerosis.
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