Curing tinnitus with a Cochlear Implant in a patient with unilateral sudden deafness: a case report

Cochlear implantation is a routine procedure for patients with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss. Some reports demonstrated a suppression of tinnitus as a side-effect after implantation. We describe the case of a 55-year-old man suffering from severe right-sided tinnitus in consequence of sudden right-sided deafness. Multiple therapeutic efforts including intravenous steroids and tympanoscopy with grafting of the round window remained unsuccessful. One year after onset of symptoms right-sided cochlear implantation was performed, which resulted in a complete abolishment of tinnitus after activating the implant. Severe unilateral tinnitus after sudden deafness might represent a new indication for cochlear implantation.