Clinical Medicine Insights: Ear, Nose and Throat

Objective: To present a case of spontaneous, bilateral hemotympanum secondary to chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia.

Methods: Case report and review of the literature.

Results: Bilateral spontaneous hemotympanum is an exceedingly rare event. We present the first case of nontraumatic bilateral hemotympanum secondary to chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia in a patient with acute myelogenous leukemia. The patient presented with a 7-day history of progressive bilateral hearing loss and a platelet count of 10 × 109/L after receiving his first dose of induction chemotherapy. A small, left-sided subdural hematoma was present in this patient though no extra-aural sources of bleeding to explain the bilateral hemotympanum were identified.

Conclusion: Full resolution of symptoms was achieved with conservative management.