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.
Related Posts
Recent Posts
Where Y’at?
Where y’at? This common greeting in New Orleans isn’t asking for your location, it means how are you or what’s going on? As we look…
The Fabulous Audiology Chorus: You Know You Want To
The Fabulous Audiology Chorus is looking for voices to join in singing our national anthem at AAA 2025+HearTECH Expo. You’ve probably seen us at the…
AAA 2025 in New Orleans: GHOST TOUR
New Orleans is said to be one of the most haunted cities in the United States. According to Google, the city’s tumultuous history filled with…