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Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Published on: January 25, 2016
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Bilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss in Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis
Joanne Wai Ling Lau1, Borka Ceranic1, Robert Harris1
1St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
BMJ Case Reports
|September 16, 2015
Summary
Bilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) can stem from various causes. This case shows Staphylococcus aureus endocarditis as a rare cause of sudden hearing loss, emphasizing broad diagnostic considerations.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Infectious Diseases
- Cardiology
Background:
- Bilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) presents diagnostic challenges, often requiring consideration of non-otological and non-neurological causes.
- Prompt diagnosis and management are crucial for potentially reversible conditions presenting with audiovestibular failure.
Observation:
- A previously healthy 51-year-old woman experienced sudden profound bilateral hearing loss with coryzal symptoms, fever, tachycardia, and nystagmus.
- Initial investigations suggested vasculitis, but subsequent testing revealed methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bacteremia.
Findings:
- Transesophageal echocardiogram confirmed infective endocarditis as the underlying cause of the patient's symptoms.
- MSSA endocarditis was identified as the etiology for the bilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
Implications:
- This case underscores the importance of considering systemic infections, such as endocarditis, in the differential diagnosis of bilateral SNHL.
- Early identification of infectious causes can guide appropriate treatment, although hearing loss may be permanent and require interventions like cochlear implantation.
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