Lesions of the internal auditory canal and cerebellopontine angle in an only hearing ear: is surgery ever advisable?

OBJECTIVE

To define the indications for surgery in lesions of the internal auditory canal (IAC) and cerebellopontine angle (CPA) in an only hearing ear.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective case series.

SETTING

Tertiary referral center.

PATIENTS

Seven patients with lesions of the IAC and CPA who were deaf on the side opposite the lesion. Five patients had vestibular schwannoma (VS), and one each had meningioma and progressive osseous stenosis of the IAC, respectively. The opposite ear was deaf from three different causes: VS (neurofibromatosis type 2 [NF2]), sudden sensorineural hearing loss, idiopathic IAC stenosis.

INTERVENTION(S): Middle fossa removal of VS in five, retrosigmoid resection of meningioma in one, and middle fossa IAC osseous decompression in one.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Hearing as measured on pure-tone and speech audiometry.

RESULTS

Preoperative hearing was class A in four patients, class B in two, and class C in one. Postoperative hearing was class A in three patients, class B in one, class C in two, and class D in one.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the vast majority of neurotologic lesions in an only hearing ear are best managed nonoperatively, in highly selected cases surgical intervention is warranted. Surgical intervention should be considered when one or more of the following circumstances is present: (1) predicted natural history of the disease is relatively rapid loss of the remaining hearing, (2) substantial brainstem compression has evolved (e.g., large acoustic neuroma), and/or (3) operative intervention may result in improvement of hearing or carries relatively low risk of hearing loss (e.g., CPA meningioma).