Acoustic neuroma as first sign of inner ear functional disorders.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this work was to describe acoustic neuromas as the first signs of inner ear functional disorders.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study covered 3,456 audiological and otoneurological patients, who were treated in the Department of Otolaryngology, Laryngological Oncology, Audiology and Phoniatrics Military Medical Academy University Teaching Hospital in Lodz within the period of 2011-2016. Among the studied subjects, an acoustic neuroma on the vestibulocochlear nerve was diagnosed in 13 cases (5,16%), including 9 women and 4 men. Each patient underwent a medical interview and an objective examination with static and dynamic tests, pure tone audiometry and speech audiometry tests, impedance audiometry tests, characteristics of tinnitus, videonystagmography and auditory brainstem evoked potentials (ABR) in crack. In each case of an incorrect ABR recording, contrast-enhanced MRI was performed.

STUDY RESULTS: The conducted tests showed an incorrect ABR recording in 252 patients (7,29%, including 54,37% women and 45,63% men). In the performed contrast-enhanced MRI, 13 patients (5,16%), including 3,57% women and 1,59% men, had an image typical to neuroma of the vestibulocochlear nerve. Each one of the studied patients showed signs and symptoms typical to an acoustic neuroma such as hypoacusia and balance disorders, tinnitus in 12 subjects, headaches in the temporal and occipital area in 4 subjects, trigeminal neuralgia symptoms in 2 subjects and vision problems like scotoma and blurred vision reported by 1 patient.

CONCLUSION: Each case of sensorineural hearing loss, particularly unilateral sensorineural hearing loss, requires expanded hearing tests and auditory brainstem evoked potentials tests. An incorrect brainstem evoked potentials recording such as: an elongated latency of the 5th wave, an elongated interlatency of 1-2-3 and 1-2-3-4 waves, requires a contract-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging to diagnose cerebellopontine angle tumours.