Sudden Hearing Loss Subsequent to the Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Jae-Ho Kang

Chang-Bum Park

Kyung-Min Choi

Seung-Woo Kim

Korean Journal of Otolaryngology-head and Neck Surgery 01/2009; 52(2). DOI: 10.3342/kjorl-hns.2009.52.2.197

ABSTRACT

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is otologic emergency, accompanying tinnitus and vertigo occasionally within several hours or a few days. Many etiologic theories such as viral infection,

vascular occlusion, cochlear membrane break, bacterial infection, autoimmune disorder and neurologic diseases and so forth have been suggested. The risk of cerebrovascular accident in cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention is less than 0.5%. The main mechanism of injury results from microembolism and hypoperfusion. A 66-years-old male with long-standing history of ischemic heart disease was presented complaining profound hearing loss, ear fullness, and tinnitus in his right ear and mild vertigo subsequent to the percutaneous coronary intervention in the right side. There was sensory deficit on the right facial side and impairment of eyeball movement on the same side. The T1, T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging showed acute infarction of the right pons. Heparin was infused intravenously for 5 days. On the 8th day of treatment, the hearing threshold level was completely recovered to the level of the opposite ear. We report a case of hearing loss subsequent to coronary intervention with a review of literature.[less]