Sudden bilateral sensorineural hearing loss after intravenous cocaine injection: a case report and review of the literature.

Abstract

Little is known about the effects of intravenous abuse of cocaine, especially on the inner ear. We report on a 26-year-old man who presented to our outpatient department with a sudden severe hearing loss after intravenous injection of cocaine. The audiogram on admission showed symmetric air conduction levels up to 80 dB at 4 kHz. After treatment with intravenous sodium chloride, prednisolone, and pentoxifylline, the audiogram 2 days later showed a bilateral normacusis. A review of the literature on the topic is given and possible reasons for inner ear damages caused by cocaine are discussed.

• Authors: Markus Stenner, Konrad Stürmer, Dirk Beutner, Jens Peter Klussmann
• Journal: The Laryngoscope (Laryngoscope) Vol. 119 Issue 12 Pg. 2441-3 (Dec 2009) ISSN: 1531-4995 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 19806646 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Cocaine

Topics

• Adult
• Audiometry
• Cocaine
• Hearing (drug effects, physiology)
• Hearing Loss, Bilateral (chemically induced, diagnosis, physiopathology)
• Hearing Loss, Sensorineural (chemically induced, diagnosis, physiopathology)
• Hearing Loss, Sudden (chemically induced, diagnosis, physiopathology)
• Humans
• Male
• Substance Abuse, Intravenous (complications)