A case of sudden onset hearing loss with vertigo following intracranial hemangioma in childhood

Abstract

A case of sudden onset hearing loss with vertigo following intracranial cavernous hemangioma in childhood is reported. An 8-year-old girl had a sudden attack of vertigo with left side hearing loss. On admission, symptoms were limited to the VIII th cranial nerve. CT and MRI examination showed a small mass in the left middle cerebellar peduncle and partial pons. The tumor was excised and pathological examination revealed a cavernous hemangioma. Previously, intracranial cavernous hemangioma was considered rare, but the increasing use of MRI has demonstrated numerous such cases. Typically, epileptic or other convulsive symptoms appear initially, but in our case, pathology was indicated by hearing loss with vertigo without other cranial nerve symptoms. This was a result of the localization of the tumor. We emphasized that in cases of sudden onset hearing loss, CNS lesions must be ruled out by thorough otoneurological examination for evidence of CNS symptoms. Because of their high resolutional capacity, CT and especially MRI studies are useful diagnostic tools in such cases.