A case report of pulsatile tinnitus as a symptom of brain arteriovenous malformation

Abstract

Pulsatile tinnitus is the result of blood flow related sounds transmitted to the inner ear and coincides with heartbeat. Although pulsatile tinnitus is a rare entity, this symptom is most often indicative of a serious underlying disease in central nervous system. Unfortunately, this symptom is often not properly assessed by clinician that leads to delayed diagnosis of underlying brain pathology. In this report, a patient is presented with chief complaint of tinnitus that had many medical visits for 2 years. Finally, a cerebral vascular malformation was diagnosed with regards to physical examination and neuroimaging findings.