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Updated: Mar 9, 2026
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Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Published on: January 25, 2016
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Rare cause of bilateral sudden deafness
F I Vos1, P Merkus1,2, E B J van Nieuwkerk3
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Section Ear & Hearing, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
BMJ Case Reports
|January 4, 2017
Summary
Relapsing polychondritis (RP) can cause sudden, recurring hearing loss and vertigo. Early RP diagnosis is crucial for timely intervention and preventing irreversible hearing damage.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Rheumatology
- Neurology
Background:
- Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare, multisystemic inflammatory disorder.
- RP can present with diverse symptoms, including audiovestibular manifestations.
- Diagnostic challenges arise due to RP's variable presentation and episodic nature.
Observation:
- A 62-year-old female experienced recurrent sudden deafness, vertigo, and facial paresis.
- Initial misdiagnoses included idiopathic sudden deafness and neuroborreliosis (Lyme disease).
- Bilateral deafness and vestibular areflexia developed within one month.
Findings:
- The patient was ultimately diagnosed with relapsing polychondritis (RP) 9 months after symptom onset.
- Diagnostic delay was attributed to the episodic nature of RP and its varied clinical manifestations.
- Prompt RP identification was critical for managing sensorineural hearing loss.
Implications:
- Timely diagnosis of RP is essential for appropriate patient management.
- Early intervention in RP-associated hearing loss can guide cochlear implantation strategies.
- Preventing cochlear obliteration through early treatment may improve hearing rehabilitation outcomes.
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