Sudden Bilateral Sensorineural Hearing Loss as a Primary Manifestation of Multiple Sclerosis

Introduction: Sudden bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is a major problem to the patient who suddenly loses his or her hearing in both ears; however, it can also be a serious problem for the ENT specialist in order to investigate etiology and suggest a prognosis. The present study is a case report of a patient with bilateral sudden deafness with multiple sclerosis as the underlying pathology.

Case Presentation: A 55-year-old male presented at the emergency department with sudden serious bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. In his medical history he reported a head injury 7 days before and the CT scan had shown a small subarachnoid hemorrhage in the left parietal area. After thorough laboratory testing, the patient was treated with corticosteroids and antiviral and vasodilating agents according to the department's therapeutic protocol. His hearing was considerably improved. According to the same protocol a brain MRI was performed. It showed areas of pathologic signals in the white substance of the brain suggestive of multiple sclerosis.

Conclusion: Sudden bilateral sensorineural hearing loss may be the first manifestation of multiple sclerosis. ENT specialists should also take into account demyelinating diseases during investigation and management.