Ipsilateral and contralateral acoustic brainstem response abnormalities in patients with vestibular schwannoma.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze auditory brainstem response (ABR) data in patients with vestibular schwannomas (VS) in an effort to identify correlations between abnormal ABR parameters and tumor size.

STUDY

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study with chart review.

SETTING

Tertiary referral hospital.

SUBJECTS AND

METHODS

Retrospective chart review and analysis of bilateral ABR records in patients with VS. Interaural latency differences of interpeak I-V (ILD-I-V) and ILD-V longer than 0.2 ms were used as abnormal criteria.

RESULTS

Thirty patients with a mean age of 50 +/- 14 years were included in this study. The most frequent changes in ABR parameters included those of ILD-I-V (100%), wave V latency (96.7%), ILD-V (93.3%), and interpeak I-V latency (90%). Average VS tumor size was 2.48 +/- 1.31 cm. For patients with VS greater than or equal to 2 cm, the prevalences of abnormal ipsilateral interpeak III-V latency, contralateral wave V latency, and interpeak III-V latency showed statically significant differences (P = 0.0035, P = 0.0267, and P = 0.0273, respectively) compared to those in patients with VS less than 2 cm. Tumor size was positively correlated with pure-tone average (P = 0.0106) and with the total number of bilateral abnormal ABR parameters (P = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

We identified a correlation between ABR parameters and VS tumor size. An ipsilateral ILD-I-V greater than 0.2 ms was sensitive for detecting VS. Abnormal contralateral wave V and interpeak III-V latency indicated a tumor size potentially larger than 2 cm. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.