CASE STUDY
BILATERAL OTITIS MEDIA AND UNILATERAL SENSORINEURAL HEARING LOSS AS THE FIRST SIGNS OF WEGENER’S GRANULOMATOSIS
 
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ENT Clinic, Attikon Hospital, University of Athens, Athens, Greece
 
 
Publication date: 2013-03-31
 
 
Corresponding author
George S. Korres   

Dr George Korres, 10-12 Dorilaiou St., N. Erythraia, 14671, Athens, Greece, Phone: +30 6945 997916, e-mail: gfkorres@gmail.com
 
 
J Hear Sci 2013;3(1):47-50
 
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Background:
Wegener’s granulomatosis (WG) is a rare disease characterised by blood vessel inflammation. Due to its endorgan damage it is life threatening, primarily affecting the upper and lower respiratory tract (nose, sinuses, trachea, lungs) and the kidneys.

Materials, Methods, Results:
In this paper we describe the case of a 46-year-old woman who within one year developed bilateral otitis media and unilateral sensorineural hearing loss as the first clinical manifestations of Wegener’s granulomatosis.

Conclusions:
Even though bilateral otitis media is not a rare condition, in some cases it can be associated with a systemic disease. Suspicion of such a diagnosis should be reinforced when sensorineural hearing loss is present and the history of chronic otitis media is short. In the absence of other typical findings, the role of the otorhinolaryngologist is very important and any case with such symptoms should be thoroughly investigated.

 
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