OBJECTIVEThis study addresses the characters of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical features, and curative effects in the screening of SSNHL due to inner-ear hemorrhage.

METHODSMRI and relevant audiometric test were given to 160 patients with SSNHL, who were hospitalized in the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 2011 to April 2013. The clinical features and curative effects of patients with high signals in the labyrinth on MRI were analyzed.

RESULTSMRI abnormities were found in 22 (13.8%) of the patients. Specifically, eight cases were considered for inner-ear hemorrhage. For the eight inner-ear hemorrhage cases, clinical features included the sudden onset of complete hearing loss, which worsened within several hours. Pure tone audiometry indicated profound sensorineural deafness. The prevalence of inner-ear hemorrhage was 5% in SSNHL cases and 18.6% in cases of profound sensorineural. MRI showed high signal intensity in the cochlear, semicircular canals or vestibule on unenhanced T1-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images. The high signal intensity in the inner ear gradually degraded in six months. There was no improvement in hearing for the patients with inner-ear hemorrhage following symptomatic therapy.

CONCLUSIONSSNHL due to inner-ear hemorrhage is characterized by profound sensorineural deafness in all frequencies, and high signal intensity for the hemorrhagic inner ear on T1-weighted MRI, with poor prognosis.