About Eric P. Wilkinson, MD Expertise I am a board-certified otolaryngologist with additional subspecialty training in otology, neurotology, and skull base surgery. This is the subspecialty of otolaryngology that involves the ear, hearing, balance organs, the facial nerve, and surgery of the skull base including surgery for acoustic neuroma and other benign and malignant tumors of the base of the skull.
Experience Medical school, residency in otolaryngology, fellowship in otology/neurotology/skull base surgery
Organizations American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery
North American Skull Base Society
American Neurotology Society
Publications Laryngoscope Otology and Neurotology
Education/Credentials MD Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 2001
Otolaryngology Residency, University of Iowa Department of Otolaryngology, Iowa City, IA
Otology/Neurotology Fellowship, House Ear Clinic, Los Angeles, CA
Expert: Eric P. Wilkinson, MD Date: 12/6/2007 Subject: SHL, AN?
Question I was diagnosed with sudden sensorineural hearing loss two days ago. I woke
up approximately a week ago with a sense of fullness in my left ear, ringing
and difficulty hearing (felt very dehydrated at the time and was very stressed
that night about my infant son. Also have TMJ and haven't used my biteplate
regularly recently or the night before this). My audiogram revealed mild
sensorineural hearing loss only at the highest frequency and acute hearing in
my right ear. I had a sore throat and mild cold approximately a week and a
half prior to this, and my daughter recently had a fever. I'm being treated with
prednisone and I'm scheduled for an MRI. My uncle had an acoustic neuroma
resected several years ago. Also - about 8 months ago after c-section for my
son, I had very low blood pressure, strange visual symptoms (i.e. wavy
vision?) in the hospital. A few weeks later I had a horrible pounding headache
after valsalva maneuver while straining, and then a few days later I woke up
with a bad unilateral headache and numbness of my arm and leg on the other
side and I remember facial numbness and numbness inside my mouth, but I
believe on the side opposite my current hearing loss. My numbness went
away nearly as soon as I got up, but my headache persisted and I was sent to
the ER. CT scan of the head was normal and I was hydrated and sent home.
I'm terrified about an underlying neurological problem given my recent
history. Also - about 5 years ago I had this problem with the same ear along
with ear pain concurrent with a head cold, was told by the PCP that I had
mastoiditis and treated with prescription decongestant and antibiotics, but
the speech therapist I worked with at the time was doubtful that I actually had
mastoiditis. I'm currently breastfeeding and worry that if I do the MRI with
contrast that my son will wean:( Just wondering about the possibility of AN or
worse neurological problem.
Answer An MRI with gadolinium contrast of the inner ear is mandatory in this situation to exclude acoustic neuroma. About 10% of the time an acoustic neuroma will present with a sudden hearing loss. Other possible causes of sudden hearing loss include hydrops (inner ear pressure disorder), vascular problems, viral illnesses, and autoimmune causes.
