Enlarged internal auditory canal and sudden deafness

Objectives: We report a young man with bilateral enlarged internal auditory canals who developed sudden sensorineural hearing loss following weight-lifting exercise. Methods: We present a detailed clinical history, including the patient's high resolution computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans. Results: The patient reported left-sided hearing loss immediately following weight-lifting exercise. He had no vestibular disturbance. He was treated with a combined regimen of steroids and an antiviral drug, but his profound hearing loss did not resolve. During another session of weight-lifting exercise, he suffered another episode of sudden hearing loss. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a patient with patulous internal auditory canals, with no other anomalies, who developed bilateral sudden hearing loss after weight-lifting exercise. Although no definitive conclusions can be drawn, close surveillance and lifestyle warnings should be considered in such patients, even if they are clinically asymptomatic.