PMC3635683_01
PMC3635683_02
MRI studies of the skull base focusing on the pontocerebellar angles in the acute stage (a) and 9 months later following successful treatment and functional recovery (b). a In the acute stage, gadolinium contrast agent enhancement of the 8th cranial nerves on both sides (1), both inner ears with predominance on the left (2) and the facial nerve on the left (3) were found. These findings were interpreted as a result of a spread of the inflammatory process via the endolymphatic and/or the perilymphatic fluids. b In April 2012, the MRI only showed a slight residual enhancement of the 8th cranial nerve on the left side (1), while the MR morphology of the other structures had returned to normal.
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F1
Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed gadolinium enhancement of both inner ears as well as hyperintense signals within both cochleovestibular nerves and the facial nerve on the left side (fig. 1a). The skull MRI only showed a residual minimal contrast enhancement of the 8th cranial nerve on the left side in April 2011 (fig. 1b).
Pure-tone audiometry thresholds at initial presentation with sensorineural hearing loss (a) and with close-to-normal auditory function one year after treatment (b).
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F2
The pure-tone audiogram confirmed a bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (fig. 2a). The recovery was confirmed in the follow-up pure-tone audiometry (fig. 2b) and BEAP (fig. 3b).
a The BEAP curves with supraliminal stimulation of 75 and 95 dB SPL: normal on the right and desynchronized on the left side. b BERA performed one year after the acute event with supraliminal stimulation: absence of wave I on both sides, normalization of waves III and V on the left side.
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F3
The BEAP curves with supraliminal stimulation of 75 and 95 dB sound pressure level (SPL) were normal on the right and desynchronized on the left side (fig. 3a).