Acoustic trauma and perilymph fistula

An unusual case of presumed perilymph fistula

“…By the time the patient was seen in clinic he had developed symptoms and signs of loss of hearing, vertigo, tinnitus, nystagmus and a discharging ear, which strongly suggested a perilymph fistula. The diagnosis is not often so clear-cut, and vestibular testing, audiometry and radiography are often of little help (Narula and Marks, 1985;Vartianen etai, 1991). One suggestion for criteria for surgical exploration following trauma is persistent audiovestibular symptoms which have not subsided during a period of enforced bedrest with the head elevated 30 degrees for 48-72 hours (Goodhill, 1980).…”

Perilymphatic Fistula: Historical Perspective

“…Narula and Marks present two cases of PLF due to acoustic trauma. 39 The first patient was exposed to 130 dBA through a telephone headset, while the second patient was exposed to 118 dBA of music through a loudspeaker.…”

Perilymphatic Fistula: A Washington, D.C., Experience

“…Other abnormal connections have been identified but are much less commonly reported [1,2]. The causes of a PLF are multiple, including stapedectomy [3,4], head or ear trauma [5][6][7], diving [8], flying [9], surgery for chronic otitis media [10], Valsalva-like exertion [7,11], general anesthesia [7,12], acoustic trauma [13] and congenital PLF [7,[14][15][16][17][18].…”