[Sudden deafness and cytomegaly virus infection (author's transl)]

A 49-year old patient complained of sudden deafness in his right ear. With the exception of a rising titre level of the complement-fixing antibodies there were no positive findings for the cytomegaly virus. However, the eight-fold rise in the titre level after a latent period made it appear likely that the sudden deafness was caused by a cytomegaly virus infection. This assumption was also supported by the lack of vestibular symptoms, which, according to literature, is quite frequent in virus diseases of the inner ear. The usual therapy led to an improvement in the patient's hearing, which was also accompanied by a drop in the titre level of the antibodies. No prognosis can be made, since similar observations have not yet been recorded.