title: Hearing preservation following a transtemporal resection of an acoustic schwannoma: a case report.
abstract: The transtemporal or translabyrinthine approach is generally regarded as the most reliable method of ensuring total tumor removal and preservation of facial nerve function in the resection of a cerebellopontine angle tumor. This is particularly true in removing a tumor that has a significant extension into the patient's internal auditory canal. An anticipated deficit associated with the approach is a total hearing loss in the patient's hearing on the operated side. We have encountered a patient, however, who was serially documented as having serviceable hearing after a transtemporal removal of an acoustic schwannoma. Plausible reasons for the functional preservation of some of this patient's hearing are included in the discussion.
authors.affiliation: Center for Cranial Base Surgery, St. Johns Mercy Medical Center, St. Louis, Missouri.
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Bigelow
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Kletzker
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Leonetti
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Pugh
authors.forename: E T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Mishler
mesh_terms: D002530:Cerebellopontine Angle / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000601:surgery; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006314:Hearing Loss, Conductive / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000601:surgery*