Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T05:31:53.828Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Rapidly progressive hearing loss occurring over weeks: review of differential diagnoses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 October 2021

C W Lee Open the ORCID record for C W Lee [Opens in a new window] ,
H Walters ,
H Steele  and
F Stafford
C W Lee*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Sunderland Royal Hospital, Sunderland, UK
H Walters
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Sunderland Royal Hospital, Sunderland, UK
H Steele
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Sunderland Royal Hospital, Sunderland, UK
F Stafford
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Sunderland Royal Hospital, Sunderland, UK
*
Author for correspondence: Mr Chang Woo Lee, Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Sunderland Royal Hospital, Kayll Road, SunderlandSR4 7TP, UK E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

Sudden hearing loss, or progressive hearing loss occurring over months to years, are well-established presentations. However, little is described in the medical literature on how to approach patients presenting with a rapidly progressive hearing loss occurring over weeks. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of patients presenting with rapidly progressive hearing loss.

Methods

A case of rapidly progressive hearing loss occurring over 12 weeks is presented. A PubMed literature review was performed to determine the evidence-based differential diagnoses for rapidly progressive hearing loss.

Results

Fifteen causes were identified for rapidly progressive hearing loss: intracranial aetiologies (meningioma, lymphoma, metastatic deposit, cavernous angioma, meningitis, superficial siderosis); paraneoplastic syndrome (small cell lung carcinoma, thymoma); inflammatory or autoimmune disorders (autoimmune inner-ear disease, sarcoidosis, vasculitis, Sjögren's syndrome); infective disorders (syphilis, human immunodeficiency virus); and medication-induced causes.

Conclusion

Rapidly progressive hearing loss should be considered a ‘red flag’ symptom that warrants urgent action. Most causes are systemic or sinister in nature, and the patient's hearing loss can potentially be reversed.

Keywords

HearingOtologyNeuro-OtologyAudiologySkull BaseSurgery
Type
Clinical Records
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 136 , Issue 8 , August 2022 , pp. 775 - 782
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of J.L.O. (1984) LIMITED

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

Mr C W Lee takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

References

Management of suspected unilateral idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss in adults. In: https://www.entuk.org/_userfiles/pages/files/guidelines/SSNHL%20SSO.pdf [13 May 2022]Google Scholar
Isaacson, JE, Vora, NM. Differential diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss. Am Fam Physician 2003;68:1125–32Google ScholarPubMed
Kishimoto, I, Yamazaki, H, Naito, Y, Shinohara, S, Fujiwara, K, Kikuchi, M et al. Clinical features of rapidly progressive bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Acta Otolaryngol 2014;134:58–6510.3109/00016489.2013.831993CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Hearing Loss in Adults, NICE Guideline 2019. In: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs185/resources/hearing-loss-in-adults-pdf-75545723052997#:~:text=Sudden%20hearing%20loss%20(occurring%20over,a%20specialist%20within%202%20weeks [20 June 2021]Google Scholar
Ishikawa, T, Kawamata, T, Kawashima, A, Yamaguchi, K, Kubo, O, Hori, T et al. Meningioma of the internal auditory canal with rapidly progressive hearing loss: case report. Neurol Med Chir (Tokyo) 2011;51:233–5CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Simmons, DB, Bursaw, AW. Lymphoma presenting as acute-onset dysphagia. Case Rep Neurol Med 2015;2015:745121Google ScholarPubMed
Jacob, A, Brightman, RP, Welling, DB. Bilateral cerebellopontine angle metastatic melanoma: a case report. Ear Nose Throat J 2007;86:388–9010.1177/014556130708600712CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zhang, S, Zhao, H, Sa, R, Qin, X, Qu, L, Wang, Y et al. Bilateral internal auditory canal metastasis of colon carcinoma mimicking neurofibromatosis type II: a case report and literature review. World Neurosurg 2019;127:381–610.1016/j.wneu.2019.02.166CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hausmann, ON, Hausmann, AW, Probst, R, Gratzl, O. Cavernous angioma of the cerebellopontine angle. J Clin Neurosci 1997;4:66–910.1016/S0967-5868(97)90016-3CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Renna, R, Plantone, D, Batocchi, AP. Teaching NeuroImages: a case of hearing loss in a paraneoplastic syndrome associated with anti-Hu antibody. Neurology 2012;79:e134CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Devine, MF, Kothapalli, N, Elkhooly, M, Dubey, D. Paraneoplastic neurological syndromes: clinical presentations and management. Ther Adv Neurol Disord 2021;14:175628642098532310.1177/1756286420985323CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lucchinetti, CF, Kimmel, DW, Lennon, VA. Paraneoplastic and oncologic profiles of patients seropositive for type 1 antineuronal nuclear autoantibodies. Neurology 1998;50:652–7CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Evoli, A, Lancaster, E. Paraneoplastic disorders in thymoma patients. J Thorac Oncol 2014;9:S143–710.1097/JTO.0000000000000300CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vernino, S, Lennon, VA. Autoantibody profiles and neurological correlations of thymoma. Clin Cancer Res 2004;10:7270–510.1158/1078-0432.CCR-04-0735CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yehudai, D, Shoenfeld, Y, Toubi, E. The autoimmune characteristics of progressive or sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Autoimmunity 2006;39:153–810.1080/08916930500499599CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fazel, MT, Jedlowski, PM, Cravens, RB Jr, Erstad, BL. Evaluation and treatment of acute and subacute hearing loss: a review of pharmacotherapy. Pharmacotherapy 2017;37:1600–16CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Matteson, EL, Fabry, DA, Strome, SE, Driscoll, CL, Beatty, CW, McDonald, TJ. Autoimmune inner ear disease: diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in a multidisciplinary setting. J Am Acad Audiol 2003;14:225–30Google Scholar
Harris, DA, Mikulec, AA, Carls, SL. Autoimmune inner ear disease preliminary case report: audiometric findings following steroid treatments. Am J Audiol 2013;22:120–410.1044/1059-0889(2012/12-0040)CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mijovic, T, Zeitouni, A, Colmegna, I. Autoimmune sensorineural hearing loss: the otology-rheumatology interface. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2013;52:780–910.1093/rheumatology/ket009CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Colvin, IB. Audiovestibular manifestations of sarcoidosis: a review of the literature. Laryngoscope 2006;116:75–82CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wolf, M, Kronenberg, J, Engelberg, S, Leventon, G. Rapidly progressive hearing loss as a symptom of polyarteritis nodosa. Am J Otolaryngol 1987;8:105–8CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cassilde, AL, Barnaud, G, Baccar, S, Mortier, E. Sudden-onset bilateral deafness revealing early neurosyphilis. Eur Ann Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Dis 2014;131:389–91CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wenzel, GI, Götz, F, Lenarz, T, Stöver, T. HIV-associated cerebral lymphocyte infiltration mimicking vestibular schwannoma. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2008;265:1567–71CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ho, T, Vrabec, JT, Burton, AW. Hydrocodone use and sensorineural hearing loss. Pain Physician 2007;10:467–72Google ScholarPubMed
Schacht, J, Talaska, AE, Rybak, LP. Cisplatin and aminoglycoside antibiotics: hearing loss and its prevention. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2012;295:1837–5010.1002/ar.22578CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Santucci, NM, Garber, B, Ivory, R, Kuhn, MA, Stephen, M, Aizenberg, D. Insight into the current practice of ototoxicity monitoring during cisplatin therapy. J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2021;50:19CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sunwoo, W, Jeon, YJ, Park, HG, Song, Y, Song, J, Choi, BY et al. Silent vestibulopathy in asymmetric hearing loss can be a sign of a cerebellopontine angle tumour. J Otorhinolaryngol Hear Balance Med 2018;1:6CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Samii, M, Matthies, C. Management of 1000 vestibular schwannomas (acoustic neuromas): surgical management and results with an emphasis on complications and how to avoid them. Neurosurgery 1997;40:11–23Google Scholar
Foley, RW, Shirazi, S, Maweni, RM, Walsh, K, Walsh, RM, Javadpour, M et al. Signs and symptoms of acoustic neuroma at initial presentation: an exploratory analysis. Cureus 2017;9:e1846Google ScholarPubMed
Mangham, CA, Carberry, JN, Brackmann, DE. Management of intratemporal vascular tumors. Laryngoscope 1981;91:867–7610.1288/00005537-198106000-00002CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mastronardi, L, Carpineta, E, Cacciotti, G, Di Scipio, E, Roperto, R. Cavernous hemangioma of the internal auditory canal encasing the VII and VIII cranial nerve complex: case report and review of the literature. Neurosurg Rev 2016;39:349–54CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chrétien, F, Lortholary, O, Kansau, I, Neuville, S, Gray, F, Dromer, F. Pathogenesis of cerebral Cryptococcus neoformans infection after fungemia. J Infect Dis 2002;186:522–3010.1086/341564CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tyler, KL. Herpes simplex virus infections of the central nervous system: encephalitis and meningitis, including Mollaret's. Herpes 2004;11:57–64AGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pasquier, E, Kunda, J, De Beaudrap, P, Loyse, A, Temfack, E, Molloy, SF et al. Long-term mortality and disability in cryptococcal meningitis: a systematic literature review. Clin Infect Dis 2018;66:1122–32Google ScholarPubMed
Koeppen, AH, Michael, SC, Li, D, Chen, Z, Cusack, MJ, Gibson, WM et al. The pathology of superficial siderosis of the central nervous system. Acta Neuropathol 2008;116:371–82CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kumar, N. Superficial siderosis: associations and therapeutic implications. Arch Neurol 2007;64:491–610.1001/archneur.64.4.491CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Selimoglu, E. Aminoglycoside-induced ototoxicity. Curr Pharm Des 2007;13:119–2610.2174/138161207779313731CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pawate, S, Moses, H, Sriram, S. Presentations and outcomes of neurosarcoidosis: a study of 54 cases. QJM 2009;102:449–60CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Svrakic, M, Golfinos, JG, Zagzag, D, Roland, JT Jr. Cochlear implantation of a patient with definitive neurosarcoidosis. OTO Open 2017;1:2473974X1774263310.1177/2473974X17742633CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed