Acoustic reflex test in neuro-otologic diagnosis. A review of 24 cases of acoustic tumors.

Acoustic and other tumors of the cerebellopontine angle are not uncommon, and they usually have otologic symptoms or findings. Early diagnosis depends on a high index of suspicion and a thorough evaluation of patients with suspected tumors. This is a report of 24 cases selected from a group of 184 surgically confirmed tumors. Had the cases been evaluated only on the basis of pure tone or speech audiometry or on the basis of plain roentgenograms, the diagnosis might not have been made. Audiological examination should include the acoustic reflex test. The results of this test indicated a retrocochlear problem (absence or decay of the reflex) in 19 of 24 cases (80%). The test was positive in 11 of 12 patients with normal or near normal hearing and in seven of eight patients with normal x-ray films.