The Journal of International
Advanced Otology
Case Report

Surgical ligation of A Large Mastoid Emissary Vein in A Patient Complaining of Pulsatile Tinnitus

1.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Jeonbuk National University School of Medicine, Jeon-ju, Korea

2.

Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute of Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeon-ju, Korea

J Int Adv Otol 2021; 17: 84-86
DOI: 10.5152/iao.2020.8086
Read: 1331 Downloads: 587 Published: 01 January 2021

Pulsatile tinnitus is an uncommon symptom characterized by a perceived sound pulsing like a heartbeat. Here, we report an unusual case of a patient with unilateral pulsatile tinnitus caused by a large, prominent mastoid emissary vein (MEV). A 45-year-old woman presented at our hospital with pulsatile tinnitus. She had persistent tinnitus for 20 years, and her symptoms had worsened in the previous 2 years. She said that she perceived a sound pulsing like a heartbeat. She had some hearing impairment in both the ears for a long time owing to long-term otitis media. The temporal bone computed tomography scan showed a large right jugular bulb, and there was a large MEV canal draining into the right sigmoid sinus. Therefore, we decided to perform a large MEV ligation with the planned right tympanoplasty. On follow-up, the patient’s pulsatile tinnitus improved completely. According to reviews, this is the first reported case of surgical ligation of a large MEV as a treatment for pulsatile tinnitus; therefore, we report this case with a brief literature review.

Cite this article as: Kim SG, Koh JH, Kim BJ, Lee EJ. Surgical ligation of A Large Mastoid Emissary Vein in A Patient Complaining of Pulsatile Tinnitus. J Int Adv Otol 2021; 17(1): 84-6.

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