[Megadolichobasilar artery as the etiology of sensorineural deafness in differential sudden deafness diagnosis].

The megadolichobasilar artery is a rare vascular anomaly that can cause a variety of clinical symptoms but is usually asymptomatic. Not much attention has been given as yet to a possible sensorineural hearing loss caused by a megadolichobasilar anomaly. Vascular compression of the vestibulocochlear nerve must be assumed to be the pathogenic factor. The megadolichobasilar anomaly represents a rare entity in the differential diagnosis of sudden idiopathic sensorineural hearing loss. More common causes are acoustic neuromas, monosymptomatic Menière's disease and rupture of the round window membrane. We present the case of a 71-year-old white male in whom magnetic resonance angiography combined with contrast-enhanced computed tomography in three-dimensional reconstruction eventually led to the diagnosis of megadolichobasilar anomaly. The combination of both imaging techniques may be required for the effective diagnosis of similar vascular anomalies.