✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
Pulsatile tinnitus alongside headache and blurred vision is a red-flag triad suggesting raised intracranial pressure or vascular pathology; audiologists encountering this symptom cluster should refer urgently to neurology or neuro-ophthalmology rather than managing within audiology.
This case reinforces that pulsatile tinnitus can be a presenting symptom of serious intracranial or vascular conditions, reminding audiologists to screen for accompanying neurological symptoms and escalate appropriately.
- 0163-year-old male presented with blurred vision, headache, and pulsatile tinnitus simultaneously.
- 02Published ahead of print in Mayo Clinic Proceedings (August 2026, PMID 42641920).
- 03Pulsatile tinnitus with neurological co-symptoms warrants urgent vascular/neurological work-up.
- 04Case reports at Mayo Clinic often illustrate rare but high-stakes diagnostic pathways.
- 05Audiologists should not attribute pulsatile tinnitus to benign causes when red-flag symptoms co-occur.
Pulsatile tinnitus in this patient co-presented with blurred vision and headache, implying a systemic or vascular aetiology.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42641920
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.mayocp.2026.04.025.
- Journal
- Mayo Clinic Proceedings
- Publication type
- case_report
- Evidence level
- 4
- Sample size
- 1
- Population
- Single 63-year-old male presenting with blurred vision, headache, and pulsatile tinnitus
- Intervention
- Diagnostic work-up for pulsatile tinnitus with neurological symptoms
Primary outcomes
Identification of underlying aetiology of pulsatile tinnitus with neurological co-symptoms