Early Recovery of Sympathetic Ophthalmia with Hearing Loss in a Young Man

Hearing loss is rarely associated with sympathetic ophthalmia. We describe a young man who presented with sympathetic ophthalmia and concurrent hearing loss one month post globe rupture. The presentation was very subtle and atypical. However, the patient recovered fully after two weeks of prompt oral corticosteroid therapy which resulted in good visual and hearing outcomes. This patient demonstrated that the acute phase of sympathetic ophthalmia is reversible with early recognition of features, timely diagnosis, and rapid initiation of corticosteroid therapy.