ArticleCureus2026
Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss as the Presenting Symptom of Varicella Zoster Virus Rhombencephalitis: A Case Report.
Article in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Pathophysiologic phenotyping of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss: toward precision management.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2026Review
- Multimodal biomarkers in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss: integrating immune, vascular, and metabolic perspectives for precision medicine.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is an ENT emergency that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. Most cases are thought to be idiopathic, and early oral steroid initiation is thought to increase the likelihood of recovery. MRI of the internal auditory meatus (IAM) is the imaging modality of choice, as retrocochlear pathology needs to be excluded. We report the case of a 54-year-old man who presented with left-sided sudden SNHL in the absence of any other symptoms. MRI IAM demonstrated inflammation in the posterior fossa (rhombencephalitis), prompting an urgent neurology referral. Lumbar puncture detected varicella zoster virus (VZV) encephalitis, and the patient was treated with intravenous acyclovir. He subsequently developed a vesicular rash weeks later. Follow-up MRI showed near-complete lesion resolution, and his hearing showed minor improvement. This case demonstrates how expedient MRI can detect unusual causes of sudden SNHL, enabling timely management and increasing the likelihood of resolution.
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Registered trials
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