title: Acoustic neuroma as first sign of inner ear functional disorders.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this work was to describe acoustic neuromas as the first signs of inner ear functional disorders.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study covered 3,456 audiological and otoneurological patients, who were treated in the Department of Otolaryngology, Laryngological Oncology, Audiology and Phoniatrics Military Medical Academy University Teaching Hospital in Lodz within the period of 2011-2016. Among the studied subjects, an acoustic neuroma on the vestibulocochlear nerve was diagnosed in 13 cases (5,16%), including 9 women and 4 men. Each patient underwent a medical interview and an objective examination with static and dynamic tests, pure tone audiometry and speech audiometry tests, impedance audiometry tests, characteristics of tinnitus, videonystagmography and auditory brainstem evoked potentials (ABR) in crack. In each case of an incorrect ABR recording, contrast-enhanced MRI was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The conducted tests showed an incorrect ABR recording in 252 patients (7,29%, including 54,37% women and 45,63% men). In the performed contrast-enhanced MRI, 13 patients (5,16%), including 3,57% women and 1,59% men, had an image typical to neuroma of the vestibulocochlear nerve. Each one of the studied patients showed signs and symptoms typical to an acoustic neuroma such as hypoacusia and balance disorders, tinnitus in 12 subjects, headaches in the temporal and occipital area in 4 subjects, trigeminal neuralgia symptoms in 2 subjects and vision problems like scotoma and blurred vision reported by 1 patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Each case of sensorineural hearing loss, particularly unilateral sensorineural hearing loss, requires expanded hearing tests and auditory brainstem evoked potentials tests. An incorrect brainstem evoked potentials recording such as: an elongated latency of the 5th wave, an elongated interlatency of 1-2-3 and 1-2-3-4 waves, requires a contract-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging to diagnose cerebellopontine angle tumours.
authors.affiliation: Klinka Otolaryngologii, Onkologii Laryngologicznej, Audiologii i Foniatrii Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Łodzi Kierownik kliniki: prof. dr hab. med. Jurek Olszewski.
authors.forename: Marzena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bielińska
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Lodz.
authors.forename: Kalina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Owczarek
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Lodz.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nowosielska-Grygiel
authors.affiliation: Medical University of Lodz.
authors.forename: Jurek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Olszewski
authors.affiliation: Klinika Otolaryngologii, Onkologii Laryngologicznej, Audiologii i Foniatrii, II Katedra Otolaryngologii, Uniwersytet Medyczny w Łodzi Kierownik Katedry i Kliniki: prof. dr hab. n. med. Jurek Olszewski.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pietkiewicz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007759:Labyrinth Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009464:Neuroma, Acoustic / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: inner ear functional disorders; neuroma; vestibulocochlear nerve