Bilateral intracranial vertebral artery dissection presenting as sudden bilateral hearing loss

Abstract

Although sudden unilateral hearing loss is relatively common, espite clinical and radiological investigations, most cases remain diopathic. The central disorders causing sudden hearing loss are escribed in cases with vertebrobasilar insufficiency; multiple scleosis; sarcoidosis; meningitis; forms of vasculitis, such as Behc et isease; human immunodeficiency virus or cytomegalovirus infecion; and Susac syndrome [1]. Sudden hearing loss is usually nilateral; bilateral hearing loss is rare. Among various etioloies affecting auditory pathways, the incidence of bilateral hearing oss is estimated to be 0.5–1.2% in patients with vertebrobasilar schemia or occlusive disorders [1,2], and hearing loss resulting rom vertebral artery dissection is extremely rare. We report a case f bilateral intracranial vertebral artery dissection presenting as udden bilateral hearing loss with no abnormality in brainstem and erebellar structures on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).