Endolymphatic Hydrops Secondary to Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension

Background: Spontaneous intracranial hypotension may be associated with neuro-otological symptoms that might mimic Menière's disease.

Case presentation: We report the case of a 53-year-old male presenting bi-frontal headache with recurrent spells of vertigo, left fluctuating hearing loss, and tinnitus. Dedicated brain and inner ear Magnetic Resonance Imaging, including a post-contrast 4 hours delayed FLAIR sequence, revealed typical signs of spontaneous intracranial hypotension associated with endolymphatic hydrops involving the left saccule and cochlea.

Conclusions: Audio vestibular manifestations mimicking Menière's disease in spontaneous intracranial hypotension could be explained by endolymphatic hydrops, which can be detected using dedicated magnetic resonance imaging sequences.

Keywords: case report; endolymphatic hydrops; inner ear; intracranial hypotension; magnetic resonance imaging.