Abstract
The anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) syndrome may manifest with a variety of neurologic symptoms, including hearing loss, tinnitus and vertigo, as the presenting symptom. We report the case of a patient with brainstem infarction who presented with deafness of sudden onset. The patient was a 65-year-old woman who presented with sudden hearing loss and tinnitus in the right ear and vertigo, without any other neurological deficits. At the time of hospitalization, the patient was diagnosed as a case of sudden deafness. Since the patient showed persistent severe nausea and vomiting even after hospitalization, MRI was performed. CT showed no abnormality, while MRI and MRA revealed fresh infarctions of the right middle cerebellar peduncle and cerebellum localized in the territory of the anterior interior cerebellar artery. In daily clinical practice, it is important to bear in mind the possibility of AICA syndrome in patients presenting with acute sensorineural hearing loss and vertigo. We suggest that it is important to perform MRI and MRA in the early stage in such patients, especially those with risk factors for cerebrovascular disorders.
