Acute Deafness: A Rare Complication of Shunting.

Acute Deafness: A Rare Complication of Shunting.

World Neurosurg. 2018 Feb 22;:

Authors: Martinez-Perez R, Montivero A, Rayo N, Ramirez M, Naudy C, Mura J

Abstract
BACKGROUND: While mild hearing loss following shunting has been recently described among few papers, severe auditory impairment associated with ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt is an uncommon phenomenon, rarely reported among the literature. Treatment options and physio-pathology considerations are discussed in this case report.
DISCUSSION: A 27-year-old man previously treated for an eight cranial nerve schwanomma with complete resection and a ventriculoperitoneal shunt 10 years prior, presented to the emergency room with acute severe hearing loss and headache. Imaging studies showed diminished size of the ventricles and contrast dural enhancement. Forty-eight hours after the replacement of the previous shunt for a programmable antisiphoning VP shunt, the patient´s hearing and headache improved as it was demonstrated in serial audiograms.
CONCLUSION: Hearing loss is an underestimated complication of shunting that in some cases might progress to severe impairment and deafness. Auditory impaired patients with a VP shunt should prompt further evaluation and possibly adjustment of shunt settings.

PMID: 29477699 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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