A Case of Bilateral Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss Accompanying Unilateral Acute Otitis Media as a First Presentation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

The etiologies of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) include idiopathic, viral infections, vascular occlusion, abnormal cellular stress responses within the cochlea, and a variety of immune-mediated mechanisms. Although idiopathic cause is most common, many studies have proposed a possible association between SSNHL and viral infections, including herpes simplex virus, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), rubella, mumps, and so on. Particularly, various mechanisms underlying auditory dysfunction in the HIV/acquired immune deficiency syndrome have been proposed. Herein, we present the case of a 35-year-old male diagnosed with sudden hearing loss on both sides and left acute otitis media, presenting first in the left ear, in which subsequent serological examination revealed HIV infection. It is a case of HIV infection diagnosed after identifying the involvement of the 8th cranial nerve as the first symptom in the absence of any other HIV infection-associated symptoms.