J Korean Neurol Assoc.  2005 Feb;23(1):96-99.

Vertebrobasilar Occlusion Initially Presenting with Sudden Bilateral Hearing Loss with Vertigo

• Park SA
• Ahn BJ
• Kim SC
• Yang KI
• Lee TK
• Ahn MY
• Sung KB

Abstract

A 57-year-old man complained of sudden hearing loss and vertigo as sole initial symptoms. Pure tone audiometry revealed severe bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Brain MRI demonstrated multiple scattered small acute infarctions in the bilateral thalami, occipital lobe, cerebellum and ventral upper pons, however, none in the level of vestibulocochlear nuclei. Cerebral angiography revealed vertebrobasilar occlusion with collateral circulation. On the seventh day of the patient's hospital stay, he developed dysarthria, dysphagia and ataxia. Five months later, his hearing loss persisted, but other neurologic deficits improved substantially.

Keyword

Audiometry; Deafness; Vertebrobasilar insufficiency

MeSH Terms

Ataxia
Audiometry
Brain
Cerebellum
Cerebral Angiography
Collateral Circulation
Deafness
Deglutition Disorders
Dysarthria
Hearing Loss
Hearing Loss, Bilateral*
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural
Hearing Loss, Sudden
Humans
Infarction
Length of Stay
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Middle Aged
Neurologic Manifestations
Occipital Lobe
Pons
Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency
Vertigo*