Pulsatile tinnitus and carotid artery dissection

• Published in: Auris, nasus, larynx Vol. 45; no. 1; pp. 175 - 177
• Main Authors: Shimizu, Yuya, Yagi, Masato
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01-02-2018
• Subjects: Carotid artery dissection; MRA; Otolaryngology; Partial Horner’s syndrome; Pearl and string sign; Pulsatile tinnitus; Partial Horner’s syndrome; Pulsatile tinnitus; MRA; Carotid artery dissection; Pearl and string sign
• ISSN: 0385-8146; 1879-1476
• 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.