Clinically isolated syndrome manifested as acute vestibular syndrome: bedside neuro-otological examination and suppression of transient evoked otoacoustic emissions in the differential diagnosis

Abstract

A case of a 34-year old woman with acute vestibular syndrome caused by a demyelinating lesion in the root entry zone of the 8th cranial nerve is presented. Neuro-otological bedside examination and suppression of transient evoked otoacoustic emissions provided objective clinical evidence of a retrolabyrinthine lesion. Magnetic resonance imaging and the presence of oligoclonal IgG bands in cerebrospinal fluid analysis established the diagnosis of clinically isolated syndrome. This case report highlights the clinical information provided by the neuro-otologist in the differential diagnosis of the acute vestibular syndrome and the diagnosis of possible multiple sclerosis.