She was originally diagnosed with a vestibular schwannoma on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and was referred to our institution for Gamma Knife radiosurgery.
The current report represents an attempt to understand this clinical entity as discussed in the current literature.Ĭase summary: A 77-year-old female with a long history of progressive right-sided hearing loss and episodic vertigo developed unilateral right SSNHL, tinnitus, vertigo, and disequilibrium. Underlying pathophysiologic factors surrounding microvascular compression of the vestibulocochlear nerve are poorly understood and make treatment recommendations, especially the option of microvascular decompression, difficult if not controversial. We present a patient with unilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) who was found to have a vascular loop in the ipsilateral internal auditory canal (IAC), and we review the literature regarding this association.
