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An isolated vestibulocochlear symptom preceding brainstem infarction due to basilar artery occlusion
1Department of Otolaryngology, Saitama Medical Center, Saitama, Japan. m-ohki@umin.ac.jp
Objective:
To describe unilateral hearing loss preceding brainstem infarction due to basilar artery occlusion.
Study Design:
Clinical capsule report.
Setting:
University hospital.
Patient:
A 67-year-old woman presented with unilateral acute hearing loss with dizziness as a sole prodromal manifestation of basilar artery occlusion for 2 weeks before the appearance of motor and oculomotor deficits.
Intervention:
Otologic examinations and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed.
Results:
A pure-tone audiogram showed unilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss preceding brainstem occlusion. Diffusion-weighted MR image demonstrated acute infarction around the paramedian area of the upper and middle pons, although T2-weighted MR image showed a normal brain image except for occlusion of the basilar artery.
Conclusion:
Acute unilateral hearing loss could be a prodrome of basilar artery occlusion. Clinicians must consider this possibility, especially in patients at high risk of brainstem infarction.
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