SELECTIVE COCHLEAR NEUROTOMY IN THE CEREBELLOPONTINE CISTERN USING ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL MONITORING IN A PATIENT WITH INTRACTABLE TINNITUS -CASE-REPORT

Selective cochlear neurotomy for intractable tinnitus is quite difficu lt to perform because there is no way to approach the cochlear nerve w ithout interfering with other neural structures. The authors successfu lly performed selective cochlear neurotomy in the cerebellopontine cis tern in a patient with persistent intractable high-pitched tinnitus, b ut with normal hearing and vestibular functions, by monitoring cochlea r nerve compound action potentials and auditory brainstem responses. T he procedure is a very simple and safe technique for the treatment of intractable tinnitus. Although this destructive procedure is the last choice of treatment, it can be justified in patients who have poor hea ring and severe tinnitus in spite of normal vestibular functions. The procedure may also be applied in some rare cases such as that of the p resent patient whose quality of life was markedly reduced because loud tinnitis prevented him from hearing anything with the affected ear ev en though his hearing and vestibular functions were normal.