Sudden deafness secondary to a middle ear/inner ear interaction: The implications of finding an 'adhesive tent' during tympanotomy.

摘要

Sudden deafness associated with vestibular symptoms can develop rapidly over a day or so. Although the exact incidence of sudden deafness is not known, some studies have suggested that at least 40,000 cases occur annually in the United States. These cases are caused by multiple known, as well as unknown, etiologies. Known causes include acoustic or physical trauma (including penetrating trauma), infection (tympanogenic or meningogenic labyrinthitis), surgical iatrogenic injury, vestibular schwannoma, autoimmune disorders, and sudden attacks of Meniere disease.By definition, the causes of idiopathic sudden deaf-ness are less certain. Based on our clinical experience and histopathologic studies, the two most common causes are viral endolymphatic labyrinthitis and middle ear/inner ear interaction:In the former, the pathology of the inner ear is identical to the labyrinthine pathology of measles and mumps.In the latter, barometric trauma to the middle ear secondary to activities such as nose blowing or scuba diving can damage the inner ear via the round window membrane, resulting in harm to inner ear elements, including sensory cells.