Central retinal vein occlusion and sudden deafness: a possible common pathogenesis

CASE REPORT. A 91-year-old woman complained of blurred vision in the right eye due to a well-perfused central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and two mo nths later, of sudden deafness (SD) in her right ear. Her visual acuity and hearing recovered almost completely within a few months. Medical evaluatio n disclosed the combination of slight coagulation abnormalities (moderate d ecrease in protein S, slightly elevated lipoprotein (a)), and elevated fibr inogen, with plasma hyperviscosity. DISCUSSION. The occurrence of CRVO then SD suggests that the same underlyin g conditions can be considered as risk factors for both diseases and shows up some similarities in the pathogenesis of these acute impairments of micr ovascular blood flow in the retina and the cochlea.