Hearing improvement after resection of a large jugular foramen schwannoma: case report.

Publication/Presentation Date

5-1-2008

Abstract

Although hearing improvement after surgery for small tumors of the cerebellopontine angle has been reported, the mechanism by which surgery leads to the improvement in hearing remains controversial. We report a patient who sought treatment for progressive tinnitus and hearing loss. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a large (5-cm) schwannoma in the cerebellopontine angle. At surgery the lesion was found to originate from rootlets of cranial nerve X at the jugular foramen. The patient underwent gross total resection of the tumor. Immediately after surgery, his hearing improved dramatically. We believe that our patient represents an example of hearing impairment at least in part referable to direct compression of the brainstem. Importantly, the patient's hearing deficit was completely reversible. Some authors claim that surgery to preserve hearing may be contraindicated in patients with speech discrimination scores below 50%. However, when extrinsic brainstem compression may contribute to the cause of such a hearing decrement, postoperative improvement in hearing may be a reasonable expectation.

Volume

18

Issue

3

First Page

195

Last Page

199

ISSN

1531-5010

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

PubMedID

18978966

Department(s)

Department of Surgery Faculty

Document Type

Article

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