Sudden onset hearing loss following intra-abdominal surgery: an unusual association

Christopher Sg Thompson; Rohit Gohil; Mary-Louise Montague

doi:10.1136/bcr-2020-234793

Sudden onset hearing loss following intra-abdominal surgery: an unusual association

BMJ Case Rep. 2020 Sep 29;13(9):e234793. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2020-234793.

Authors

Christopher Sg Thompson^{1

2}, Rohit Gohil³, Mary-Louise Montague²

Affiliations

¹ Anatomy, University of Edinburgh Division of Health Sciences, Edinburgh, UK chris.thompson2@nhs.scot.
² Department of Paediatric Otolaryngology, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, UK.
³ Department of Otolaryngology, NHS Lothian, Livingston, UK.

Abstract

We describe the case of a 12-year-old boy who reported unilateral hearing loss following laparoscopic appendicectomy for acute appendicitis under general anaesthesia. He was otherwise fit and well with no previous otological history. Formal audiological assessment by pure tone audiogram demonstrated a unilateral high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL).In addition to describing his clinical course, a literature review of SNHL following non-otological surgery was performed. We recommend an awareness of this phenomenon, necessitating its prompt recognition, early audiological assessment and management as per sudden onset SNHL guidelines.

Keywords: anaesthesia; ear; nose and throat/otolaryngology; paediatric surgery; paediatrics.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Appendectomy
Appendicitis / surgery
Audiometry, Pure-Tone
Child
Hearing Loss, Sudden / diagnosis*
Hearing Loss, Unilateral / diagnosis*
Humans
Male
Postoperative Complications / diagnosis*