Pulsatile tinnitus as a first symptom of essential thrombocythemia
Received 23 February 2010 published online 03 May 2010. Corrected Proof
Abstract
Tinnitus is the sensation of sound inside the head and is a common symptom encountered daily by otorhinolaryngologists. Pulsatile tinnitus sufferers hear rhythmical noise at the same rate as a heartbeat and can present a diagnostic challenge. In this report, we present a 32-year-old patient with pulsatile tinnitus that led to the diagnosis of essential thrombocythemia. The symptom of pulsatile tinnitus allowed an early diagnosis of essential thrombocythemia and a more favorable prognosis. The case demonstrates the importance of blood tests for all patients who present with pulsatile tinnitus of unknown origin.
Department of Otolaryngology, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
Corresponding author. Department of Otolaryngology, Kansai Medical University, Shin-machi 2-3-1, Hirakata, Osaka 573-1191, Japan. Tel.: +81 72 804 0101; fax: +81 72 804 2069.
1 First 2 authors contributed equally to this paper.
ABSTRACT