Resolution of Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss Following a Roller Coaster Ride

We report a case of sudden unilateral sensorineural hearing loss of sudden onset during an aeroplane flight, which completely resolved during a roller coaster ride at Alton Towers theme park. A review of the literature concerning sudden idiopathic sensorineural hearing loss and spontaneous resolution are discussed. Initially, pure-tone audiometry showed a profound sensorineural hearing loss in the right ear and mild sensorineural hearing loss in the left ear (of note, the hearing was normal prior to the episode). Following resolution of the patient’s symptoms during a roller coaster ride, pure-tone audiometry showed normal hearing thresholds in both ears. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is a symptom of cochlear injury and the mechanism of the patient’s symptoms was attributed to a patent cochlear aqueduct

Monitoramento auditivo na ototoxidade Auditory monitoring in ototoxicity

Algumas drogas, denominadas ototóxicas, têm a capacidade de lesar os sistemas auditivo e vestibular. O avanço tecnológico tem disponibilizado inúmeros recursos para realizar o monitoramento da audição, porém, apesar da disponibilização de protocolos de avaliação internacionais, existem controvérsias quanto à escolha do procedimento de maior sensibilidade e especificidade para este fim. OBJETIVO: Analisar os procedimentos audiológicos utilizados no monitoramento auditivo dos indivíduos expostos à medicação ototóxica. METODOLOGIA: Realizou-se busca eletrônica nas bases de dados MEDLINE e LILACS, a partir da combinação entre os descritores que caracterizaram as temáticas monitoramento auditivo, ototoxicidade e câncer. A literatura apontou dois principais procedimentos efetivos no monitoramento: a audiometria de altas freqüências e as emissões otoacústicas. Ambos permitem que a alteração no sistema auditivo seja identificada antes que haja um comprometimento dos limiares tonais na faixa de freqüências convencional, e conseqüentemente na habilidade de compreensão da fala. CONCLUSÃO: O protocolo de monitoramento auditivo foi sugerido considerando a capacidade do paciente em responder aos testes comportamentais e a etapa do monitoramento (primeira avaliação ou subseqüentes). No caso de portadores de câncer, o monitoramento auditivo deve ser disponibilizado no local de tratamento do indivíduo.<br>Some pharmaceutical products are capable of damaging the human auditory system. Technological progress has provided numerous resources to monitor hearing but there still is some controversy regarding the selection of the most sensitive and specific tests. OBJECTIVE: to analyze audiological procedures used in the auditory monitoring of individuals exposed to ototoxic medication. METHODS: we searched the MEDLINE and LILACS literature databases, using terms pertinent to audiological monitoring, ototoxicity and cancer. The pertaining literature analysis identified two procedures often used worldwide for the early detection of auditory lesions induced by ototoxic pharmaceutical drugs: high-frequency audiometry and evoked otoacoustic emissions. Both allow early identification of hearing disorders before changes are seen in conventional pure-tone audiometry and, consequently, before speech understanding is compromised. CONCLUSION: we suggest a hearing monitoring protocol, considering the patient’s capability to respond to behavioral tests and monitoring timing (first test/follow up). For cancer patients, hearing monitoring should be performed in the patient’s treatment venue