Res Vestib Sci.  2009 Dec;8(2):147-151.

A Case of Anterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery Infarction Initially Presented a Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss with a Normal Diffusion-weighted Brain MRI

• Kim HS
• Oh JI
• Park MI
• Kim CW

Abstract

A sudden hearing loss with vertigo may originate from vascular insufficiency and sometimes presents as a prodrome of anterior inferior cerebellar artery infarction. Here we describe the case of a 48-year-old male patient who presented with a sudden onset of hearing loss in his right ear and severe, whirling type dizziness without associated neurological signs or symptoms. The diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was normal on initial presentation, but 4 weeks after the onset of symptoms, the patient developed ipsilateral facial paralysis and dysarthria. A follow-up MRI revealed acute infarction in the territory of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery, involving the right lateral pons, right middle cerebellar peduncle, and inferolateral cerebellum.

Keyword

Sudden hearing loss; Anterior inferior cerebellarartery; Infarction; MRI

MeSH Terms

Arteries
Brain
Cerebellum
Dizziness
Dysarthria
Ear
Facial Paralysis
Follow-Up Studies
Hearing Loss
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural
Hearing Loss, Sudden
Humans
Infarction
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Middle Aged
Pons
Vertigo