title: The risk of hearing loss in nongrowing, conservatively managed acoustic neuromas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the risk of loss of useful hearing in the absence of tumor growth among patients undergoing conventional management of acoustic neuroma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tertiary referral center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective case review.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten patients (12 ears) were identified having a period of no tumor growth of at least 6 months (19.0+/-12.8 months), and for whom at least two audiograms were available in this period.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Loss of useful hearing defined using 70% speech discrimination score (SDS) and 30 dB pure tone average (PTA) (70/30), or 50% SD and 50 dB PTA (50/50) criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three of seven (43%) ears with useful hearing using the 70/30 rule and two of eight ears (25%) using the 50/50 rule lost this useful hearing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a significant risk of useful hearing loss with conservative management of nongrowing acoustic neuromas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, The Toronto Hospital, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Warrick
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bance
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rutka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone / Q000379:methods; D003390:Cranial Nerve Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors