The application of vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials in otoneurosurgery.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the applicability of vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) in the diagnostics, intraoperative monitoring, and postoperative follow-up of patients in otoneurosurgery.


METHODS
A prospective study of patients who underwent either cochlear implantation (CI, n = 18) or were diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma (AN, n = 9) or with neuro(micro)vascular compression of the VIIIth nerve (NVC, n = 27) in the period 2002 to 2004. The follow-up was 1 year for all patients.


METHODS
A tertiary-referral unit.


RESULTS
VEMPs could be recorded in 64% of all patients before CI and in 22% after surgery. The patients with AN had normal VEMPs in 22% of all cases when first diagnosed. Normal VEMPs were found in 37% of those patients with NVC. From the 5 AN patients who had to be operated, only 1 had intact VEMPs after surgery. In contrast, after microvascular decompression all patients (4) had normal VEMPs.


CONCLUSIONS
VEMPs are helpful in diagnosing patients with vertigo to better identify saccular defects. They are highly sensitive in the early diagnosis of retrocochlear lesions.


CONCLUSIONS
VEMPs can help to reliably identify patients with a retrocochlerar lesion at an early stage and can be used in intraoperative, neurophysiological monitoring.


METHODS
C-4.
Ernst
Arne
A
Department of Otolaryngology at UKB, Hospital of the University of Berlin (Charité Medical School), Warener Strasse 7, D-12683 Berlin, Germany. ArneborgE@ukb.de
Todt
Ingo
I
Seidl
Rainer O
RO
Eisenschenk
Andreas
A
Blödow
Alexander
A
Basta
Dietmar
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019929:Cochlear Implantation; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000601:surgery*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012181:Retrocochlear Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D014717:Vertigo / Q000175:diagnosis; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000502:physiology*