title: Microvascular decompression for typewriter tinnitus-case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Microvascular decompression has been tested as a treatment for tinnitus.
  
  
  METHODS
  However, only a fraction of patients appear to benefit from surgery if the combination of findings such as paroxysmal vertigo, ABR changes and tinnitus is used to select patients for microvascular decompression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Instead, a more specific syndrome of staccato or "typewriter" tinnitus, which is highly responsive to carbamazepine, was suggested to be caused by a neurovascular conflict.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We present the first case of typewriter tinnitus with complete long-term symptom relief following microvascular decompression of the vestibulocochlear nerve. We suggest that this specific syndrome is caused by a neurovascular conflict and treatable by microvascular decompression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 76, Stockholm, Sweden, tiit.mathiesen@karolinska.se.
authors.forename: Tiit
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mathiesen
authors.forename: Krister
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brantberg
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D061145:Microvascular Decompression Surgery / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013577:Syndrome; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000159:Vestibulocochlear Nerve / Q000601:surgery*