Sudden Sensorineural Hearing and Vestibular Loss in a Case of Relapsing Polychondritis

Objectives: To report a case of profound bilateral sensorineural hearing and vestibular loss from relapsing polychondritis and hearing outcomes after cochlear implantation.

Methods: Case report and literature review.

Results: A 43 year-old woman developed sudden loss of hearing and balance that progressed over several weeks to bilateral, profound hearing and vestibular loss. Steroid treatments were ineffective. She underwent vestibular physical therapy and left cochlear implantation. About 10 months after her initial presentation, she developed erythema, warmth, swelling, and pain of the left auricle sparing the lobule, flattening of the bridge of her nose, and right ankle swelling, warmth, and skin erythema. A biopsy of the left auricle revealed histopathologic findings consistent with relapsing polychondritis. She was treated with high dose prednisolone. The ear inflammation resolved, however, despite excellent auditory response to pure tone thresholds, the patient reported no improvement in speech perception after cochlear implantation.

Conclusions: Relapsing polychondritis can present with rapidly progressive, profound loss of hearing and vestibular function. Hearing outcomes after cochlear implantation can include poor speech discrimination despite good pure tone detection thresholds.