[Diagnostic intra-meatal acoustic neurinoma--the role of acoustically evoked brain stem potentials and other otoneurologic studies].

BACKGROUND

Today intracanalicular acoustic neuromas are diagnosed very early by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The purpose of this study was to test the capability of brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA) for detecting these small tumors.

PATIENTS

Seventeen of 91 consecutive cases with acoustic neuromas treated at our department suffered from purely intracanalicular tumors. For these 17 patients we reviewed their medical history, clinical otoneurologic examination, audiometry, auditory evoked brainstem audiometry, electronystagmography, and MRI studies.

RESULTS

In 13 of 17 patients (76.5%) auditory evoked brainstem audiometry was indicative of a suspected retrocochlear lesion, whereas in 4 cases BERA did not indicate such a lesion.

CONCLUSIONS

The symptoms of these patients are described in detail. The role of auditory evoked brainstem audiometry and other otoneurologic test methods for detection of intracanalicular acoustic neuromas will be discussed.