Migraine and sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

A 62-year-old woman developed recurrent episodes of sudden sensorineural hearing loss, occurring with migraine headaches. This is an unusual complication of migraine, which probably arises from a reversible vasoconstriction of the cochlear blood vessels. Pathogenesis of migraine and its variants are reviewed herein, along with the rationale of the modalities in its treatment. In this case, the patient's hearing improved after administration of ergot alkaloids, carbon dioxide/oxygen inhalations, and stellate ganglion blocks; it is not known whether this improvement represented therapeutic effect or spontaneous recovery.