Hearing Loss, Tinnitus and Pineal Germinoma: Parinaud Dorsal Midbrain Syndrome Revisited

¹ Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Ohio State University, USA 
² Children’s Hospital of New Jersey, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, USA

Corresponding author: Diana S Osorio, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA

Received: December 11, 2018 
Published: January 17, 2019

Abstract

Background: Hearing impairment and tinnitus are forgotten features of Parinaud Syndrome originally discussed by Henri Parinaud in 1886.

Methods: A retrospective case series of 3 patients who presented with pineal region germinomas and hearing loss.

Results: A 15 years old male presented with morning headaches, blurred vision, bilateral papilledema, failure of upward gaze, bilateral tinnitus and decreased hearing acuity. Post-operatively, his tinnitus disappeared completely and his hearing normalized within one week. A 16 years old male presented with complete left-sided hearing impairment with cranial nerve III palsy, right eye ptosis and worsening right-sided hearing loss; he had minimal recovery of his hearing after therapy. A 46 years old with a recurrent germinoma presented with hydrocephalus, bilateral ophthalmoplegia and hearing loss; his hearing loss improved after surgical resection.

Conclusion: These case reports serve as a reminder that hearing loss can also be a component of Parinaud Syndrome. 

Keywords: Hearing loss; Pineal region tumor; Germinoma; Germ cell tumor; Tinnitus; Parinaud Syndrome