Acute tinnitus and hearing loss as the initial symptom of multiple sclerosis in a child

Abstract

Acute hearing loss with or without tinnitus has been reported in a number of adult series of multiple sclerosis (MS), but is considered a rare phenomenon. It generally occurs during disease exacerbations, rather than as an isolated finding or presenting feature. We present the case of an 11-year-old girl in whom persistent tinnitus and reversible hearing loss were the sole manifestation of MS at initial presentation. © 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.