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Word deafness is characterized by a deficit in auditory verbal comprehension, repetition, and writing to dictation with relative preservation of other language functions.1,2 It can follow bilateral1,2 or unilateral3,4 lesions of the temporal lobes. We report a patient who developed paroxysmal episodes of word deafness with normal auditory comprehension between attacks. Electroencephalographic (EEG) monitoring showed that word deafness was an ictal manifestation of focal epilepsy.
Case report.
A 48-year-old right-handed man had a 2-day history of paroxysmal deafness. At the onset of each episode he heard muffled voices in both ears followed within seconds by loss of hearing. Each attack resolved spontaneously over 3 to 5 minutes. The attacks occurred up to every 10 minutes. There were no accompanying symptoms. Seven years earlier, he had a right middle cerebral artery territory infarct resulting in a mild left hemiparesis and secondarily generalized seizures with focal motor onset, treated with carbamazepine.
The patient was examined during several paroxysmal episodes. He …
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