Clinicians performing or counseling patients on intralesional triamcinolone injections near the ear should be aware of acute vestibular syndrome as a rare but serious adverse event that can mimic posterior circulation stroke and warrants urgent neurological evaluation.
This case highlights an underreported complication of a common dermatologic procedure near the ear, with direct relevance for audiologists and ENT specialists who may encounter or co-manage patients presenting with sudden vestibular symptoms.
- 01A triamcinolone (corticosteroid) injection into an earlobe keloid triggered acute vestibular syndrome.
- 02Symptoms mimicked posterior circulation stroke, requiring urgent differential diagnosis.
- 03Case reported in Acta Neurologica Belgica (2026); single case report design.
- 04Mechanism may involve vascular or direct drug-related injury to vestibular structures.
- 05Clinicians administering periauricular injections should include vestibular injury in their risk counseling.
Intralesional triamcinolone injection for earlobe keloid can cause acute vestibular syndrome mimicking posterior circulation stroke.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42426491
- DOI
- 10.1007/s13760-026-03141-6.
- Journal
- Acta Neurologica Belgica
- Publication type
- case_report
- Evidence level
- 4
- Sample size
- 1
- Population
- Single patient who developed acute vestibular syndrome following intralesional triamcinolone injection for earlobe keloid
- Intervention
- Intralesional triamcinolone injection for earlobe keloid
Primary outcomes
Onset and characterization of acute vestibular syndrome; Differentiation from posterior circulation stroke