Pulsatile Tinnitus: A Treatable Cause

Superior Semicircular Canal Dehiscence (SSCD) has become a familiar diagnosis in the audiology community. However, it is not the only dehiscence to have ear-related symptoms. Sigmoid Sinus Dehiscence (SSD) is a condition where there is a hole in the bone separating the sigmoid sinus and the middle ear space. Although the exact incidence is unknown, it tends to occur more frequently in middle-aged women (Wang et al, 2014).

Pulsatile tinnitus, autophony, and sound-induced vertigo have been reported in those with SSD. In fact, SSD was found to occur in 25–35 percent of patients who reported pulsatile tinnitus (Schoeff et al, 2014; Wang et al, 2014). There have been several case reports of surgical intervention to correct the SSD having a positive impact and overall reduction of pulsatile tinnitus. For an interesting case study, check out the references below.

References

Ravichandran A, Su Y, Yacoub HA. (2023) A treatable cause of pulsatile tinnitus: A case of sigmoid sinus dehiscence. Cureus 15(2):e35577.

Schoeff S, Nicholas B, Mukherjee S, Kesser BW. (2014) Imaging prevalence of sigmoid sinus dehiscence among patients with and without pulsatile tinnitus. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 150:841–846.

Wang GP, Zeng R, Liu ZH, et al. (2014) Clinical characteristics of pulsatile tinnitus caused by sigmoid sinus diverticulum and wall dehiscence: a study of 54 patients. Acta Otolaryngol 134:7–13.