Post-COVID-19 dizziness associated with a patulous eustachian tube

A frequently occurring symptom following COVID-19 is dizziness. Yet, the causes of post-COVID-19 dizziness are still largely unclear. This paper presents a case of a patient in his 40s who developed persistent dizziness after a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Dizziness only occurred during nasal respiration. Inspection of the tympanic membrane on respiration indicated a patulous eustachian tube (PET). Video-oculography showed a slight nystagmus during nasal respiration. Placement of a tympanostomy tube 6 months after the start of symptoms immediately resolved the dizziness, and nystagmus during nasal respiration was reduced. A few days after treatment, the patient developed ocular fatigue and pain associated with eye movement, which was diagnosed as vestibular asthenopia. These symptoms were largely resolved by subsequent treatment with vestibulo-visual rehabilitation. This case report indicates that post-COVID-19 dizziness can be associated with a PET, and in that case, it can be successfully treated by placement of a ventilation tube.