Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-11T16:23:45.665Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Red ear syndrome presenting with vestibular migraine: case study and review of the literature

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 October 2021

S Kaneda*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tokai University, Isehara-shi, Japan
F Goto
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tokai University, Isehara-shi, Japan
T Teramura
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tokai University, Isehara-shi, Japan
K Okami
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tokai University, Isehara-shi, Japan
*
Author for correspondence: Dr Shoji Kaneda, Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tokai University, 143 Shimokasuya, Isehara-shi, Kanagawa259-1193, Japan E-mail: bolokun2002@yahoo.co.jp Fax: +81 463 94 1611

Abstract

Background

Red ear syndrome is a rare disorder in which the colour of the ear suddenly becomes red, with discomfort, pain and a burning sensation. This paper reports a case of primary red ear syndrome presenting with vestibular migraine.

Case report

A 39-year-old woman from Bangladesh reported dizziness and repeated headaches experienced since 18 years of age. She initially attended our hospital with dizziness aged 34 years. When dizzy, the colour of her right ear sometimes became red. Therefore, she was diagnosed with red ear syndrome with vestibular migraine.

Conclusion

This patient experienced repeated episodes of a red ear with discomfort, leading to the diagnosis of red ear syndrome. In addition, she had repeated dizziness and headaches, and was also diagnosed with vestibular migraine. The diagnosis of red ear syndrome with vestibular migraine should be considered in cases of dizziness and headache with recurrent redness of the ear.

Type
Clinical Records
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of J.L.O. (1984) LIMITED

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

Dr S Kaneda takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

References

Lance, JW. The mystery of one red ear. Clin Exp Neurol 1994;31:1318Google ScholarPubMed
Lance, JW. The red ear syndrome. Neurology 1996;47:617–20CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kumar, N, Swanson, JW. The ‘red ear syndrome’ revisited: two cases and a review of literature. Cephalalgia 2004;24:305–8CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ryan, S, Wakerley, BR, Davies, P. Red ear syndrome: a review of all published cases (1996–2010). Cephalalgia 2013;33:190201CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lambru, G, Miller, S, Matharu, MS. The red ear syndrome. J Headache Pain 2013;14:83CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Raieli, V, Monastero, R, Santangelo, G, Eliseo, GL, Eliseo, M, Camarda, R. Red ear syndrome and migraine: report of eight cases. Headache 2002;42:147–51CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Murofushi, T, Goto, F, Tsubota, M. Vestibular migraine patients show lack of habituation in auditory middle latency responses to repetitive stimuli: comparison with Meniere's disease patients. Front Neurol 2020;11:24CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Baier, B, Stieber, N, Dieterich, M. Vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials in vestibular migraine. J Neurol 2009;256:1447–54CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Inoue, A, Egami, N, Fujimoto, C, Kinoshita, M, Yamasoba, T, Iwasaki, S. Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in vestibular migraine: do they help differentiating from Meniere's disease? Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2016;125:931–7CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zaleski, A, Bogle, J, Starling, A, Zapala, DA, Davis, L, Wester, M et al. Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in patients with vestibular migraine. Otol Neurotol 2015;36:295302CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zuniga, MG, Janky, KL, Schubert, MC, Carey, JP. Can vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials help differentiate Meniere disease from vestibular migraine? Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2012;146:788–96CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dieterich, M, Brandt, T. Episodic vertigo related to migraine (90 cases): vestibular migraine? J Neurol 1999;246:883–92CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cutrer, FM, Baloh, RW. Migraine-associated dizziness. Headache 1992;32:300–4CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yokota, J, Motegi, R, Inoshita, A, Yamaguchi, Y. Electronystagmographic analysis in patients with vestibular migraine. Equilib Res 2020;79:2740CrossRefGoogle Scholar