[Difference between horizontal enlargement and vertical enlargement of the internal auditory meatus in acoustic neuroma].

Twenty-one patients with acoustic neuroma were investigated. The vertical diameter of the internal auditory meatus was measured by polytomography, the horizontal by target imaging CT. The ratio of the abnormal side to the normal side was calculated in each dimension. Two dimensional ratios were compared with each other in order to investigate the difference between horizontal and vertical enlargement of the internal auditory meatus. The results were as follows: 1) Horizontal enlargement of the internal auditory meatus was greater than that of the vertical one in 15 cases (75%). Vertical enlargement was greater in 6 cases but the difference between the two dimensions was not significant. 2) With horizontal enlargement, the posterior wall of the internal auditory meatus was more extended or destroyed than that of anterior wall. 3) With enlargement of the posterior wall, the bony eminence forming the inner side of the porus was predominantly extended or destroyed in every case.