Radiology Case Reports (Jun 2022)

Pulsatile tinnitus and imaging diagnosis. A case report

  • Jesus Dante Guerra-Leal,
  • Yehuda Jesus Garcia-Gutiérrez,
  • Ulises Longoria-Estrada,
  • Andrea Cecilia Garza Acosta,
  • Estefanía Brosig García

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 17, no. 6
pp. 2031 – 2033

Abstract

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Tinnitus is the perception of sound in one or both ears when no external noise exists to cause that perception. It can be otological, neurological, drug-related, traumatic, due to exposure to high decibel levels, or associated with a vascular abnormality—the latter usually causing pulsatile tinnitus. We present the diagnostic image of a patient with pulsatile tinnitus with terminal plate dehiscence of the jugular bulb and review the diagnostic workup. Jugular bulb dehiscence is a venous variant that consists of an upper and lateral extension of the jugular bulb into the middle ear through a dehiscent sigmoid plate. It is the most common vascular anatomical variant of the petrous portion of the temporal bone. Imaging studies are essential for establishing a diagnosis and defining possible anatomical variants.

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