Vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia (VBD) is a rare vascular condition characterized by the elongation, widening, and tortuosity of the vertebrobasilar artery. It can lead to various symptoms due to compression of cranial nerves and brainstem structures. We report a rare case of VBD presenting as sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) with vertigo and spontaneous downbeat nystagmus in a 65-year-old woman with a history of hypertension. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a tortuous and dilated right vertebrobasilar artery compressing the brainstem and left 8th cranial nerve root entry zone, without signs of acute cerebellar stroke. The compression of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery and cervicomedullary junction was also noted, suggesting a vascular cause for her symptoms. Following high-dose steroid treatment, the patient showed significant hearing improvement. This case underscores the importance of considering VBD in patients with unexplained SSNHL and vertigo, highlighting the role of detailed vascular imaging in the diagnosis and management of such cases.
Objectives Idiopathic unilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) with simultaneous benign paroxysmal vertigo (BPPV) is known to be associated with poor hearing recovery. We aimed to investigate clinical findings in patients with SSNHL with BPPV and analyze prognostic factors including presence of BPPV related to hearing outcome.
Methods We retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical data of 14 patients with concurrent SSNHL and BPPV (combined group). We selected 52 patients without BPPV as a control group who have matched initial threshold of pure tone audiometry and age of each patient in the combined group. We evaluated clinical characteristics of all participants and compared hearing outcomes between the 2 groups. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to investigate the factors related to hearing recovery.
Results Initial mean pure tone audiometry (PTA) threshold of combined group was 90.36±26.2 dB. Posterior canal was most commonly involved (n=7, 50%), and 8 (57%) patients showed abnormal video head impulse test results. There was no significant difference between hearing recovery rates of combined and control group (p=0.237) and mean pure tone audiometry threshold changes were not significantly different between the 2 groups (p=0.942). Old age (≥60 years), high initial PTA threshold (>90 dB), and obesity (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2) were poor prognostic predictors.
Conclusions There was no difference between hearing outcomes of combined group and profound SSNHL only group. BPPV was not a significant prognostic factor of SSNHL patients.
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Which Is More Important for the Prognosis of Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss with Vertigo, Canal Paresis or Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo? Yong-Hwi An, Hyun Joon Shim Research in Vestibular Science.2021; 20(3): 101. CrossRef
Objectives The aim of this paper was to determine if a correlation exists between video head impulse test (vHIT) and electronystagmography with caloric test (ENG). More specifically, comparison of covert and overt value from vHIT test with cold and warm stimulation value from ENG test.
Methods Retrospective study of our single institue from the period of January 2015 to January 2017 enrolled 91 patients. Patients were divided into 3 groups by their diagnosis of either vestibular neuritis (VN), Meniere disease, or sudden sensorineural loss with vertigo accordingly. Each of the patients’ both ENG and vHIT data were recorded and parameters were evaluated.
Results VN group was the only group to show a significant correlation between canal paresis (CP) with covert and overt saccades. Further analysis was done in the VN group and result showed covert saccade showing a larger area under the receiver operation characteristic curve value (0.77) compared to overt saccades (0.70), implying that covert saccade is a more accurate parameter for the prediction of the CP value. Furthermore, a positive correlation was seen between the gain value and the cold caloric stimulation value as well as between warm caloric stimulation value.
Conclusions The value of our study lies in the fact that we have attempted to find a correlation between different parameters of 2 different vestibular tests. We concluded that the evaluation of overt nystagmus by the bedside head thrust test is inappropriate for predicting CP, and a vHIT is required to accurately evaluate vestibular function.
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A Comparative Analysis of the Vestibulocochlear Function in Patients with Isolated Semicircular Canal Hypofunction Using a Video Head Impulse Test Yu Jung Park, Min Young Lee, Ji Eun Choi, Jae Yun Jung, Jung Hwa Bahng Research in Vestibular Science.2023; 22(2): 34. CrossRef
Objectives To analyze 125-Hz pure-tone thresholds in dizzy patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) and to investigate the relationship between 125-Hz thresholds and the prognosis of SSNHL with vertigo.
Methods Hearing and vestibular function tests including 125-Hz pure-tone were performed in 132 patients with SSNHL and 65 subjects with normal hearing. Audiometric follow-up was performed at 6 months after initial visit. Intergroup and intragroup comparison of 125 Hz was made between SSNHL and control groups.
Results Twenty-four patients (18.2%) had normal thresholds at 125 Hz in SSNHL group, whereas all subjects showed normal at 125 Hz in control group. None with average hearing threshold at 250 and 500 Hz≥30 dB had normal threshold at 125 Hz. There was no significant relationship between 125-Hz threshold and results of vestibular function test. There was no correlation between 125-Hz threshold and hearing recovery in SSNHL group.
Conclusions There might be no need to assess 125-Hz pure-tone threshold in patients with SSNHL, because it is enough to evaluate thresholds of 250 and 500 Hz for low frequency.
Objectives Postulated etiologies for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) include viral cochleitis, microvascular events. If SSNHL is caused by vascular compromise of common cochlear artery that supplies cochlea and posterior semicircular canal (PC), PC also can be damaged with cochlea. We aim to evaluate the prognostic value of PC function in relation to hearing recovery of SSNHL.
Methods Seventy-six patients who were diagnosed and treated for SSNHL and who underwent video head impulse test (vHIT) and follow-ups for more than 3 months were reviewed retrospectively. We defined impairment of PC function as lower PC gain (<0.7) or definite overt/covert saccade in vHIT. Patients were divided into 3 groups: group 1, SSNHL without dizziness; group 2, SSNHL with dizziness and impaired PC function; group 3, SSNHL with dizziness, but intact PC function. Hearing thresholds were repeatedly measured on the initial visit, 1 week, 1 month, and 3 months after treatment. Treatment outcome was analyzed by comparing hearing recovery rate using Siegel’s criteria and posttreatment audiometric changes among 3 groups.
Results Thirty-two (29.6%), 33 (30.6%), and 43 patients (39.8%) were included into the groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The hearing recovery rate of the group 2 (39.4%) was significantly lower than that of groups 1 (65.6%) and 3 (65.1%) (p=0.043). Pre- and posttreatment changes of the PTA threshold was significantly lower in group 2 than group 1 (p=0.009). The change of speech discrimination in each group were not different.
Conclusions Our findings suggest that the presence of PC impairment may be a poor prognostic sign for hearing recovery in patients with SSNHL.
Citations
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Artificial Neural Network-Assisted Classification of Hearing Prognosis of Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss With Vertigo Sheng-Chiao Lin, Ming-Yee Lin, Bor-Hwang Kang, Yaoh-Shiang Lin, Yu-Hsi Liu, Chi-Yuan Yin, Po-Shing Lin, Che-Wei Lin IEEE Journal of Translational Engineering in Healt.2023; 11: 170. CrossRef
Vestibular mapping in Ramsay-Hunt syndrome and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss Joon-Pyo Hong, Jung-Yup Lee, Min-Beom Kim European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology.2023; 280(12): 5251. CrossRef
A Comparative Analysis of the Vestibulocochlear Function in Patients with Isolated Semicircular Canal Hypofunction Using a Video Head Impulse Test Yu Jung Park, Min Young Lee, Ji Eun Choi, Jae Yun Jung, Jung Hwa Bahng Research in Vestibular Science.2023; 22(2): 34. CrossRef
Video head impulse test for the assessment of vestibular function in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss without vertigo N Battat, O J Ungar, O Handzel, R Abu Eta, Y Oron The Journal of Laryngology & Otology.2023; 137(12): 1374. CrossRef
Vestibular mapping assessment in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss Hee Won Seo, Jae Ho Chung, Hayoung Byun, Seung Hwan Lee Ear & Hearing.2022; 43(1): 242. CrossRef
Association of Metabolic Syndrome with Sensorineural Hearing Loss Hwa-Sung Rim, Myung-Gu Kim, Dong-Choon Park, Sung-Soo Kim, Dae-Woong Kang, Sang-Hoon Kim, Seung-Geun Yeo Journal of Clinical Medicine.2021; 10(21): 4866. CrossRef
Objectives Vertigo combined with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is known as a poor prognostic factor. We investigated clinical findings and vestibular function tests in patients of SSNHL with vertigo to find the prognostic factors.
Methods We retrospectively evaluated data on the patients diagnosed with SSNHL with vertigo at Bucheon Soonchunhyang University Hospital from March 2009 to February 2018. We reviewed medical records and the results of vestibular function tests and audiometry.
Results Of the 68 patients, 30 (44.1%) showed profound hearing loss and 53 (77.9%) showed poor recovery. Age and the degree of initial hearing loss showed negative prognostic factor in hearing recovery. Abnormal results of cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMP) also showed significantly differences between good and poor recovery groups.
Conclusions In this study, most of the patients of SSNHL with vertigo showed poor recovery. Age, degree of initial hearing loss, and the abnormal result of the cVEMP have a negative effect on the prognosis of hearing recovery.
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) originating from the posterior semicircular canal (pSCC) is a common vestibular disorder. Advanced age, head or ear trauma, other inner ear disorders, female sex and osteopenia/osteoporosis are known predisposing factors for pSCC BPPV. An association with simultaneous ipsilateral sudden deafness remains to be elucidated. We report a 62-year old woman with sudden deafness and simultaneous ipsilateral pSCC BPPV.
Background and Objectives: Vestibular evoked myogenic potential (VEMP) is a relatively new diagnostic tool that is in the process of being investigated in patients with specific vestibular disorders. In this study, we examed the responses of VEMP in patients who complained of dizzines.
Materials and Method: Eighty-six patients with complaint of dizziness and ten normal volunteers are included in this study. Among these patients, forty-six patients were diagnosed as unilateral vestibulopathy (A), five patients were bilateral vestibulopathy (B), nine patients were sudden sensorineural hearing loss with vertigo (C), fifteen patients were benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (D) and eleven patients were Meniere's disease (E). We compared VEMP parameters in each group.
Results: In each group, abnormal response in VEMP was 33%(A), 0%(B), 11%(C), 12%(D) and 36%(E) respectively. and there was no absent VEMP formation, and there was no abscent VEMP formation.
Conclusion: VEMP is a promising method for diagnosing and following patients with many vestibular disorders.