Acute sensorineural hearing loss and severe otalgia due to scrub typhus

• Main Authors: Kim Dong-Min, Kang Ji-In, Lee Joonhan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2009-10-01
• Series: BMC Infectious Diseases
• Online Access: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2334/9/173

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Scrub typhus is an acute febrile illness caused by <it>Orientia tsutsugamushi</it>.</p> <p>Case presentations</p> <p>We encountered a patient with sensorineural hearing loss complicating scrub typhus, and three patients with scrub typhus who complained of otalgia, which was sudden onset, severe, paroxysmal, intermittent yet persistent pain lasting for several seconds, appeared within 1 week after the onset of fever and rash. The acute sensorineural hearing loss and otalgia were resolved after antibiotic administration.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>When patients in endemic areas present with fever and rash and have sensorineural hearing loss or otalgia without otoscopic abnormalities, clinicians should suspect scrub typhus and consider empirical antibiotic therapy.</p>