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Case of bilateral pneumolabyrinth presenting as sudden, bilateral deafness, without temporal bone fracture, after a fall

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2012

E J Lee ,
Y S Yang  and
Y J Yoon
E J Lee*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Chonbuk National University, Jeon-ju, South Korea
Y S Yang
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Chonbuk National University, Jeon-ju, South Korea
Y J Yoon
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Chonbuk National University, Jeon-ju, South Korea
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Eun Jung Lee, Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, College of Medicine, Chonbuk National University, Kumam-dong, Dukjin-gu, Jeonju, South Korea Fax: +82 63 250 1986 E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Objective:

We report a case of bilateral pneumolabyrinth presenting as sudden, bilateral deafness, without temporal bone fracture, after a fall.

Case report:

A 49-year-old man presented with sudden, bilateral deafness and whirling vertigo, without any other neurological manifestations. Temporal bone computed tomography clearly demonstrated the presence of air in the vestibule and cochlea on both sides. However, there was no definite fracture line, ossicular chain anomaly or soft tissue density in the temporal bone or middle-ear cavity. The patient was treated conservatively. Unfortunately, there was no improvement in his hearing.

Conclusion:

Pneumolabyrinth is an uncommon condition in which air is present in the vestibule or cochlea. It is rarely found, even with fractures violating the otic capsule or with transverse fractures of the temporal bone. In addition, its bilateral occurrence is extremely rare. In this article, we describe a case of bilateral pneumolabyrinth presenting as sudden, bilateral deafness, without temporal bone fracture, an occurrence which has not previously been reported.

Keywords

Hearing Loss, SuddenVertigoTraumaTemporal BonePneumolabyrinth
Type
Clinical Records
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 126 , Issue 7 , July 2012 , pp. 717 - 720
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2012

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