title: Ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials in patients with acoustic neuroma.
abstract: To assess the usefulness of vestibular testing in patients with acoustic neuroma, considering two main aspects: to compare diagnostic sensitivity of the current vestibular tests, especially considering ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (OVEMPs) and to identify pre-operative localization of the tumor (inferior vestibular nerve vs. superior vestibular nerve) only with the help of vestibular electrophysiological data. Twenty-six patients with unilateral acoustic neuroma (mainly intracanalicular type) were studied with a full audio-vestibular test battery (pure tone and speech audiometry, caloric bithermal test, vibration-induced nystagmus test (VIN), cervical and OVEMPs). 18 patients (69 %) showed abnormal caloric responses. 12 patients (46.2 %) showed a pattern of VIN test suggestive of vestibular asymmetry. 16 patients (61.5 %) showed abnormal OVEMPs (12 only to AC, 4 both to AC and BC). 10 patients (38.5 %) showed abnormal cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (5 both to AC and BC, 5 only to AC). In one case, results of vestibular evoked potentials and caloric test were confirmed by intra-operative and post-operative findings. Results of electrophysiological tests in AN patients could be helpful for planning the proper surgical approach, considering that sensitivity of every exam is quite low in intracanalicular lesion; clinical data allow a better interpretation of vestibular evoked myogenic potentials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Specialistic Surgical and Anesthesiological Sciences, S.Orsola-Malpighi Hospital-ENT Unit, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti n.9, 40138 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianluca
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Piras
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brandolini
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castellucci
authors.forename: Giovanni Carlo
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Modugno
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002150:Caloric Tests; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009760:Nystagmus, Physiologic; D058585:Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests; D014732:Vibration; D055815:Young Adult