Severe sensorineural hearing loss associated with viral hepatitis

A 41-year-old man who developed a sudden, profound, irreversible, unilateral hearing loss while acutely ill with viral hepatitis is described. Residual damage consisted of a nonfunctional left cochlea, right positional vertigo, and tinnitus. It is postulated that the pathophysiologic defect was due to direct invasion of the endolymphatic structures by type A hepatitis virus.