Open Access
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Laryngorhinootologie 2022; 101(S 02): S243-S244
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1746926
Poster
Otology / Neurootology / Audiology: Middle ear

Sudden hearing improvement after 7T magnetic resonance imaging

Authors

  • Tereza Vosiková

    1   Universitätsklinikum Magdeburg, HNO Magdeburg

  • Ulrich Vorwerk

    1   Universitätsklinikum Magdeburg, HNO Magdeburg
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    After participation in a research study involving a 7 Tesla-MRI scan, a long-term deaf patient reported a sudden improvement in his hearing abilities. This improvement was first validated by a hearing aid specialist who checked and adjusted the patient’s hearing aid after an audiometry. Afterwards the patient appeared in the University Clinic of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery for further testing. Here we diagnosed a bilateral hearing improvement based on pure tone audiogram. While the patient suffered from bilateral cantonal sensorineural hearing loss of 30dB for low pitched tones with a steep decline to 70 dB at 1,5 kHz only one year ago, the current audiogram revealed only a medium to high pitch sensorineural hearing loss with a steep decline to 70 dB at 1,5 kHz. The sensorineural hearing loss of low pitched deep tones could no longer be found.

    The patient is convinced that the 7T MRI caused the improvements which are now already lasting for 5 months. And although we have not yet been able to find a conclusive explanation, potential mechanism could be related to the common side effects of MRI on vestibulocochlear system. In this regard vertigo with nystagmus as well as transient heraring impariment have been described and are controvercially discussed.

    In our opinion one possible explanation for the hearing improvement could be a correction of a tubular dysfunction due to the effect of the strong magnetic field in a 7T MRI. Although it is difficult to relate changes in subjective evaluations to previous diagnostic procedures, this case indicates that further research in this direction could unveil new therapeutic strategies involving strong magnetic fields in treatment of Eustachian tube dysfunction.


     

    Conflict of Interest

    The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.

    Publication History

    Article published online:
    24 May 2022

    © 2022. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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