Enhancement of the eighth cranial nerve and labyrinth on MR imaging in sudden sensorineural hearing loss associated with human herpesvirus I infection: Case report

The case of a 61-year-old woman who presented with herpes labialis, subclin ical meningitis, and sudden onset of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss i s presented. Contrast-enhanced MR imaging showed marked bilateral enhanceme nt of the intracanalicular portion of the eighth cranial nerve, right cochl ea, and left vestibule. Polymerase chain reaction was positive for human he rpesvirus I obtained from the cerebral spinal fluid, which suggested the di agnosis of viral neuritis.