A patient with sudden hearing loss induced by propylthiouracil

A 39-year-old man with type 1 diabetes, who had a 4-year history of Graves' disease being treated with propylthiouracil (PTU), had developed sudden hearing loss. However, he showed no other clinical manifestations. Intratympanic administration with dexamethasone had failed, and his hearing had deteriorated. Magnetic resonance imaging showed the contrast effect on T1-weighted image in both cochleae, and the serum immunological analysis showed the high titers for anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA). Therefore, his sudden hearing loss was presumed to be initial presentation of ANCA-associated vasculitis owing to PTU. His hearing was rapidly restored by a PTU withdrawal while no use of immunosuppressive agents, and he confirmed his hearing improvement in ordinary conversation. The patient's clinical course suggests that bilateral sensorineural hearing loss that occurs during treating hyperthyroidism could be initial presentation of ANCA-associated vasculitis, and discontinuing anti-thyroid drugs should be considered before treating with glucocorticoids.