Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 October 2009
We report a case of Sweet's disease associated with rapid, profound loss of hearing, against a background of progressive, bilateral, sensorineural hearing loss.
The clinical features were indistinguishable from those of immune-mediated inner ear disease. Establishment of a definitive diagnosis was a challenge due to the absence of a reliable diagnostic test. The patient was unresponsive to extensive immunosuppressive therapy and subsequently underwent cochlear implantation, with good hearing outcomes.
Profound, bilateral, sensorineural hearing loss in the context of Sweet's disease may be related to the underlying immunological aetiology. Cochlear implantation can successfully restore hearing when immunotherapy fails.