title: Vestibular dysfunction and compensation after removal of acoustic neuroma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate vestibular function after unilateral acoustic neuroma surgery via a retrosigmoid approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight patients were tested using caloric irrigation, static posturography, and the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) before, and one week to nine months after surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-six patients were categorized as a response group and 12 as a no-response group on the basis of preoperative caloric irrigation findings. The posturographic parameters and DHI scores at one week after surgery showed significant deterioration in the response group, but not in the no-response group. However, they recovered to the preoperative baseline at 3 months after surgery. The posturographic parameters and DHI scores for older patients tended to be worse than those for younger patients at 6 and 9 months after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients in whom caloric responses are retained preoperatively show a temporary disturbance of balance after removal of acoustic neuroma. Disequilibrium after surgery ameliorates to the preoperative baseline within three months due to vestibular compensation, regardless of preoperative vestibular function. It is possible that poorer vestibular compensation may facilitate incomplete recovery in older patients after surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Natsumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Uehara
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanimoto
authors.forename: Tasuku
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.forename: Kiyoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Doi
authors.forename: Sayaka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Katsunuma
authors.forename: Hidehito
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kohmura
authors.forename: Ken-ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nibu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004244:Dizziness / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D004856:Postural Balance; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014717:Vertigo / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D015837:Vestibular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests; D014722:Vestibule, Labyrinth / Q000503:physiopathology*