Early bilateral eighth nerve involvement in meningococcal meningitis.

A male Navy recruit had hearing loss and bilateral otitis media. Meningeal signs, not initially present, developed approximately 48 hours after admission to the hospital. Type Y meningococcus was isolated from blood cultures drawn after two days of ampicillin administered orally. Permanent, bilateral, vestibular and auditory loss resulted, in spite of adequate doses of penicillin. This unusual presentation of bilateral eighth nerve involvement was thought to be due to a localized, bilateral meningococcal labyrinthitis.