Primary antiphospholipid antibody syndrome: a case with bilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Excerpt

Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) is an acquired disorder resulting in hypercoagulability. It is defined by the presence of antiphospholipid antibodies in association with recurrent arterial and/or venous thrombosis and/or recurrent spontaneous abortions. Autoimmune sensorineural hearing loss is a rare disease of unknown etiology which was firstly described by McCabe in 1979. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is a condition defined as the sensorineural hearing loss (30 dB or more) in, at least, three consecutive frequencies [1]. Recently, SSNHL has been reported as an otologic manifestation of varieties of autoimmune diseases particularly in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Its pathogenesis is still unknown and SSNHL is very rare in clinical practice with poor prognosis. Up to now, previous reports of bilateral SSNHL that occurred in patients with primary APS were rare. Here, we report a patient with bilateral SSNHL as the first manifestation of primary APS. …