OBJECTIVE

To investigate the clinical features, diagnosis and prognosis of sudden sensorineural hearing loss accompanied with inner ear hemorrhage.

METHODS

Eleven cases of sudden sensorineural hearing loss accompanied with inner ear hemorrhage were retrospectively analyzed, including clinical manifestation, hematological and audiological examinations, as well as characteristics of inner ear three-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging (3D-FLAIR MRI).

RESULTS

Eleven cases of sudden hearing loss with inner ear hemorrhage were accompanied by varying degrees of vertigo, lasting from several minutes to several hours, nine of whom had persistent tinnitus. The audiometry curves of the 11 cases included total deafness or flat descending type. The inner ear 3D-FLAIR MRI studies revealed abnormal high signals at different positions of the inner ear, one case with endolymphatic hydrops. After the treatment, seven cases were invalid, two cases had notable effect, and two cases were effective.

CONCLUSIONS

Abnormal high signals in the inner ear were sensitively detected by 3D-FLAIR MRI sequence, which was applied for the diagnosis of the sudden hearing loss accompanied with inner ear hemorrhage. The effect of conventional treatment was not good and the appropriate treatments for this type of sudden hearing loss need further investigation.