Audiometric findings in patients with acoustic neuroma

Objective: Hearing loss remains the most common symptom associated with aco ustic neuroma. This study documents the audiometric findings from 721 acous tic neuroma procedures. Study Design: This was a retrospective study. The preoperative audiometric data were compiled and were analyzed by patient age, gender, tumor size, ti me of surgery, and neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF 2). Postoperative audiometr ic data were arranged and compiled in the same way. The hearing classificat ion proposed by the AAO-HNS was applied to all preoperative and postoperati ve cases. Setting: Tertiary referral center. Patients: Surgically confirmed acoustic neuroma patients who had not previo usly received surgical or radiosurgical therapy. Patients underwent surgery by the retrosigmoid approach. Intervention: Surgical removal of an acoustic neuroma. Main Outcome Result: Provision of pure tone and speech data from a group of acoustic neuroma patients, including application of the recently introduce d and accepted AAO-HNS hearing classification system. Results: Preoperative audiometric data were obtained from 694 of 721 patien ts (96%), of whom 619 had measurable hearing. Postoperative audiometry was performed on 606 patients; 152 had usable data. The combined preoperative a udiometric data revealed a high frequency sensorineural hearing loss. Word recognition was servicable. The postoperative pure tones and word recogniti on scores were worse than preoperative scores. Age, gender, tumor size, and time of surgery had some impact on the preoperative hearing and the postop erative result; NF 2 did not. Conclusions: The study confirms that hearing alteration is almost universal in acoustic neuroma patients. Hearing preservation is possible in a signif icant number of cases; however, the postoperative auditory function tends t o be worse.