[Sudden sensorineural hearing loss during pregnancy]

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is defined as sudden, idiopathic, usually unilateral deafness developed at most within 72 hours in previously healthy person. This paper presents very rarely occurring case of sudden sensorineural hearing loss in 23-year-old healthy nulliparous women during an uncomplicated pregnancy. The possibility of therapy of that sudden deafness in pregnant women is restricted by reason of unknown cause of disease. It has been hypothesized that hearing loss may be associated with increased activation of both blood coagulation and fibrinolysis ('hypercoagulable state') which occurs during normal pregnancy. This state may lead to vascular occlusion in the microcirculation of the inner ear by microemboli. It's necessary to take certain predisposing factors into consideration as fluid and sodium retention, emotional instability, situation anxiety, viral and allergic changes. It's essential to conduct a more detailed diagnosis to exclude some organic disorders as otosclerosis, Meniere's disease with non-typical course, especially those which are dangerous for pregnant women's life--preeclampsia-eclampsia and hypertension.