[Head trauma with resultant irreversible deafness on one side and reversible hearing impairment on the other side. A...

Following a severe head trauma, a 27-year-old man immediately suffered from bilateral hearing loss and impaired balance. On examination there was a complete loss of hearing on the right side. On the left side a subtotal hearing loss of sensorineural origin occurred and became total after a few days. The vestibular function was absent on both sides. Following treatment with prednisolone, hearing recovered in the left ear and reached an average tone threshold of 55 dB. The vestibular function remained lost from the onset of the trauma. At follow up two years later the subtotal hearing loss in the left ear was unchanged as was also the vestibular impairment.