Effect of angioplasty and stent placement on sensorineural hearing loss and pulsatile tinnitus in a patient with severe internal carotid artery stenosis.

Background: Pulsatile tinnitus occurs due to turbulent blood flow through a stenotic vessel including the internal carotid artery. The presence of sensorineural hearing loss suggests involvement of the posterior circulation vasculature.

Clinical Presentation: A 58-year-old woman presented to the ear, nose and throat clinic with acute onset of right ear pulsations and high-pitched tinnitus. An audiogram demonstrated mild sensorineural hearing loss in the right ear. Her computed tomography angiogram revealed moderate stenosis of the right internal carotid artery and she underwent revascularization with angioplasty and stent placement. A repeat audiogram demonstrated improvement in sensorineural hearing loss in the right.

Conclusion: Pulsatile tinnitus and unilateral sensorineural hearing loss maybe a reversible manifestation of a stenotic internal carotid artery.