Case 3 · Trainee

Recurrent vertigo with ear fullness

A 47-year-old describes recurrent attacks of vertigo lasting two to three hours, each preceded by a sense of fullness and a low-pitched roar in one ear. Hearing in that ear fluctuates and has gradually declined over a year.

Findings

  • Episodic vertigo lasting minutes to hours
  • Fluctuating low-frequency hearing loss on the affected side
  • Aural fullness and tinnitus preceding attacks
  • Normal findings between episodes

Disturbance of which physiological system best accounts for this?