Deafness Associated With Meningococcemia

Abstract

CHICAGODeafness resulting from meningococcic meningitis is a well recognized complication. Neal's 1 series of 650 cases contained 26 instances of deafness, Cook, Lyon and Mitchell 2 reported deafness in 3 of a series of 87 cases. McLean and Caffey3 reported deafness in 4 of 44 cases. Eleven cases of deafness were noted in 144 instances of epidemic meningitis by Smithburn, Kempf, Zerfas and Gilman.4 It is usually stated that the deafness has little tendency to improve and that it is due to a lesion of the auditory nerve.Oppenheim 5 stated that the lesion consists of purulent invasion of the eighth cranial nerve, with extension to or actual involvement of the cochlea and the meninges in the original assault by the meningococcus. Earlier writers 6 (Moos, Steinbrugge and Schultze) found the eighth cranial nerve hyperemic and infiltrated with cells in the early stages and later bathed in pus. Steinbrugge observed a case in which the nerve fibers were entirely destroyed. Schultze reported a case of meningitic deafness in which the eighth cranial nerve was atrophic and sclerotic. Recent writings on the pathologic picture and the pathogenesis

Hearing Improvement Following Meningitis Deafness

“…Tone decay testing at 4,000 Hertz units revealed 10 db of decay in the right ear, and 5 On the Jan 22 examination, both ears showed improvement in hearing sensitivity (Fig 2). Discrimination improved to 100% in the left ear, and now measurable as 64% in the right ear.…”