Sudden deafness with vertigo as a sole manifestation of anterior inferior cerebellar artery infarction

Sudden deafness without associated neurological symptoms and signs is typically attributed to a viral inflammation of the labyrinth. Although sudden deafness occurs with anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) infarction, the deafness is usually associated with other brainstem or cerebellum signs such as crossed sensory loss, lateral gaze palsy, facial palsy, Homer syndrome or cerebellar dysmetria. An 84-year-old woman suddenly developed right-sided tinnitus, hearing loss, vertigo and vomiting. Audiometry and electronystagmography documented absent auditory and vestibular function on the right side. T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted MRI showed a tiny infarct in the right lateral inferior pontine tegmentum. AICA occlusion can cause sudden deafness and vertigo without brainstem or cerebellar signs. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.