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1. Clinical presentation assessment
A detailed history is obtained regarding unilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo, with evaluation of facial sensation and balance to guide diagnostic suspicion.
2. Pure-tone audiometry
Assesses the degree of hearing loss. A typical pattern is high-frequency loss, and speech discrimination is often disproportionately reduced relative to pure-tone thresholds.
3. Auditory brainstem response (ABR)
Records evoked electrical activity following acoustic stimulation. Prolonged interpeak latencies or absent waves may be observed. Sensitivity is approximately 95%, making it an important electrophysiological screening test.
4. Vestibular function testing
Electronystagmography and video head impulse testing provide quantitative assessment, helping localize vestibular nerve involvement.
5. Gadolinium-enhanced MRI
The diagnostic gold standard. Contrast-enhanced imaging can detect small intracanalicular tumors and clarify relationships to the brainstem and facial nerve.
6. CT scanning
Bone-window CT can demonstrate widening of the internal auditory canal and is valuable for assessing osseous anatomy and selecting a surgical approach.
7. Facial nerve function assessment
Clinical grading and electrophysiological testing provide baseline information for intraoperative nerve preservation.
8. Genetic testing
NF2 genetic testing is recommended for bilateral cases or young patients to determine whether neurofibromatosis type 2 is present.
Jinshazhou Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine emphasizes that delayed diagnosis of acoustic neuroma can result in permanent neurological deficits. Early diagnosis is key to hearing preservation, and individualized planning should integrate tumor characteristics. High-risk populations should prioritize screening, and MDT-based multidisciplinary collaboration enables early detection, timely treatment, and functional preservation.
1. Clinical presentation assessment
A detailed history is obtained regarding unilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo, with evaluation of facial sensation and balance to guide diagnostic suspicion.
2. Pure-tone audiometry
Assesses the degree of hearing loss. A typical pattern is high-frequency loss, and speech discrimination is often disproportionately reduced relative to pure-tone thresholds.
3. Auditory brainstem response (ABR)
Records evoked electrical activity following acoustic stimulation. Prolonged interpeak latencies or absent waves may be observed. Sensitivity is approximately 95%, making it an important electrophysiological screening test.
4. Vestibular function testing
Electronystagmography and video head impulse testing provide quantitative assessment, helping localize vestibular nerve involvement.
5. Gadolinium-enhanced MRI
The diagnostic gold standard. Contrast-enhanced imaging can detect small intracanalicular tumors and clarify relationships to the brainstem and facial nerve.
6. CT scanning
Bone-window CT can demonstrate widening of the internal auditory canal and is valuable for assessing osseous anatomy and selecting a surgical approach.
7. Facial nerve function assessment
Clinical grading and electrophysiological testing provide baseline information for intraoperative nerve preservation.
8. Genetic testing
NF2 genetic testing is recommended for bilateral cases or young patients to determine whether neurofibromatosis type 2 is present.
Jinshazhou Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine emphasizes that delayed diagnosis of acoustic neuroma can result in permanent neurological deficits. Early diagnosis is key to hearing preservation, and individualized planning should integrate tumor characteristics. High-risk populations should prioritize screening, and MDT-based multidisciplinary collaboration enables early detection, timely treatment, and functional preservation.