Bilateral Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss in Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Abstract Objective Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia (WM) is a rare indolent B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder, representing 1 to 2% of all hematological malignancies. Involvement of the inner ear is rare with only case reports published over the past six decades. Methods The occurrence of bilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss is exceeding rare, with limited published data in the literature. We present a case of a 62-year-old man diagnosed with WM who presented with bilateral sequential sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Results A few months following his WM diagnosis, he experienced sudden hearing loss in his left ear. He was treated with a course of oral steroids with no improvement. Three months following this incident, he experienced a similar sudden loss of hearing in his right ear. Treatment for WM was initiated. A repeat hearing test, done 1 week later, did not show any significant improvement in his right hearing. Conclusion The clinical course of WM is highly variable, with relatively infrequent involvement of lymph nodes, spleen, or liver. The inner ear is rarely involved. In this article, otologic clinical presentation is discussed, along with a review of the literature on hearing loss in WM.