Endolymphatic hydrops and fluctuating hearing loss in a patient with congenital cytomegalovirus infection

Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection can cause fluctuating hearing loss and vestibulopathy. The pathogenesis is unknown. This report describes a 13-year old boy with cCMV and severe hearing loss in the right ear since age 3, presenting with fluctuating hearing loss in the left ear and vestibular symptoms. 3D fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MRI showed endolymphatic hydrops in the acutely affected ear. This is the first description of a child with cCMV subjected to this imaging technique, raising the question whether endolymphatic hydrops could play a role in the development of late-onset symptoms and demonstrating the possibilities of this MRI sequence.