Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Your Path

  • Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Etiology

  • Idiopathic inflammation, mainly affecting cochlear nerve

Symptoms

  • Abrupt onset unilateral hearing loss
  • Sense of ear fullness
  • Sometimes tinnitus
  • Sometimes dizziness

Physical Exam Findings

  • Decreased ability to hear whispered words, rubbed fingers thru affected ear(s)
  • If patient hums, sounds louder in normal ear
  • External canal and TM should be normal (assuming no co-existing conductive loss)
  • Weber w/512hz tuning fork lateralizes to normal ear; Rinne indicates air conduction better than bone

Tests