AN ACCURATE, COST-EFFECTIVE APPROACH FOR DIAGNOSING RETROCOCHLEAR LESIONS UTILIZING THE T2-WEIGHTED, FAST-SPIN ECHO MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING SCAN

Recent data indicate that the auditory brainstem response (ABR) fails to identify a significant number of retrocochlear lesions. Although th e magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan with paramagnetic enhancement is highly accurate at detecting these lesions, it is time consuming an d expensive. We report on our prospective evaluation of a cohort of 15 5 patients who underwent T2-weighted, fast-spin echo MRI scans designe d to screen for retrocochlear lesions, This imaging technique is rapid ly performed and provides superb visualization of the relevant anatomi c structures at a global cost of $475. Four tumors were identified wit h this technique. Cost analysis indicates that supplanting ABR with th is limited MRI may well represent a cost-effective approach for evalua ting patients with suspected retrocochlear lesions.