Auditory brainstem response. A comparison of different interpretation strategies for detection of cerebellopontine angle tumors.
In this retrospective study (111 tumor; 1370 non-tumor patients), the effectiveness of the auditory brainstem response for identifying cerebellopontine angle tumors was studied using different criteria to interpret the test. Individual ABR features were examined. The I-V was best (sensitivity = 82%; specificity = 97%) but present for only 44% of the population; I-III (sensitivity = 50%; specificity = 96%) and III-V (sensitivity = 30%; specificity = 97%) were worst. Ninety-three percent of patients had V and ILDV, with good results (sensitivity = 74% and 81% respectively; specificity = 93% each). Three interpretation strategies were compared: (1) included the latencies of V, ILDV, I-V, III-V and I-III and ILDI-V, (2) excluded III-V and I-III, (3) used I-V and ILDI-V when available; V and ILDV otherwise. When corrected for hearing loss, strategy 3 provided significantly better specificity (91%) than strategy 1 (87%), with no significant difference in sensitivity (92% and 93%, respectively).
Stanton
S G
SG
Audiology Services, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Cashman
M Z
MZ
D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D002530:Cerebellopontine Angle / Q000473:pathology; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies