Perilymfe fistel: Het belang van stemvorkproeven bij acuut gehoorverlies en tijdig operatief ingrijpen

A perilymphatic fistula (PLF) is an abnormal communication between the inner ear fluids and the middle ear space or mastoid. It is one of the rarer causes of acute sensorineural hearing loss. Nevertheless, because of the possible reversibility, it presents a diagnosis that has to be kept in mind. If diagnosed in time, there is a good chance of recovery. In this article we describe a patient who presented with sudden unilateral sensorineural hearing loss, which developed during a flight. After anamnesis and physical examination a perilymphatic fistula was strongly suspected. Here, we describe the importance of tuning fork test in the early phase of sudden hearing loss and the favourable outcome of surgery in case of a perilymph fistula