Pulsatile tinnitus and carotid artery dissection

Yuya Shimizu; Masato Yagi

doi:10.1016/j.anl.2016.12.004

Pulsatile tinnitus and carotid artery dissection

Auris Nasus Larynx. 2018 Feb;45(1):175-177. doi: 10.1016/j.anl.2016.12.004. Epub 2017 Jan 23.

Authors

Yuya Shimizu¹, Masato Yagi²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otolaryngology, Tokyo Teishin Hospital, 2-14-23, Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0071, Japan; Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan. Electronic address: yuya418@gmail.com.
² Department of Otolaryngology, Tokyo Teishin Hospital, 2-14-23, Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0071, Japan.

PMID: 28126274
DOI: 10.1016/j.anl.2016.12.004

Abstract

Carotid artery dissection is an uncommon entity associated with head and neck pain, partial Horner's syndrome, amaurosis fugax, and brain ischemia, which may all occur in isolation or in combination. Herein, we report a rare case of cervical artery dissection in which pulsatile tinnitus was the only reported symptom. A 38-years-old man attended our hospital with a 4-days history of left side pulsatile tinnitus which began after stumbling. He had no other symptom. MRA showed luminal stenosis with pseudo lumen of the internal carotid artery. The patient was diagnosed with left internal carotid artery dissection and treated with antihypertensive therapy accordingly. After 2 months, the stenosis and tinnitus spontaneously resolved.

Keywords: Carotid artery dissection; MRA; Partial Horner’s syndrome; Pearl and string sign; Pulsatile tinnitus.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Adult
Antihypertensive Agents / therapeutic use
Carotid Artery, Internal / diagnostic imaging
Carotid Artery, Internal, Dissection / complications*
Carotid Artery, Internal, Dissection / diagnostic imaging
Carotid Artery, Internal, Dissection / drug therapy
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Angiography
Male
Tinnitus / etiology*

Substances

Antihypertensive Agents