Sweet's disease and profound, bilateral, sensorineural hearing loss

Objective: We report a case of Sweet's disease associated with rapid, profound loss of hearing, against a background of progressive, bilateral, sensorineural hearing loss. Results: The clinical features were indistinguishable from those of immune-mediated inner car disease. Establishment of a definitive diagnosis was a challenge due to the absence of a reliable diagnostic test. The patient was unresponsive to extensive immunosuppressive therapy and subsequently underwent cochlear implantation, with good hearing outcomes. Conclusions: Profound, bilateral, sensorineural hearing loss in the context of Sweet's disease may be related to the underlying immunological aetiology. Cochlear implantation can successfully restore hearing when immunotherapy fails.