MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS - A CAUSE OF SUDDEN HEARING-LOSS

Sudden hearing loss is a clinical entity which has numerous aetiologie s. In cases where the aetiology is nor determined, evaluation and trea tment of sudden hearing loss are very difficult. A case of probable mu ltiple sclerosis with sudden hearing loss as the initial symptom is re ported. The pure-tons audiometry showed a quasi-total sensori-neural h earing loss in the left ear: the left side displayed only wave I in th e auditory brainstem response (ABR). EIectronystagmographic examinatio n revealed hypometric dysmetria and saccadic pursuit abnormalities. Ma gnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed high-intensity lesions with mult iple foci. After steroid therapy the patient's hearing loss, vertigo a nd visual problems improved, but the ABR findings remained unchanged. We have decided to present this case because of the interesting ABR fi nding revealing the presence of wave I asd the absence of all other wa ves after thr normalization of the hearing.