J Korean Acad Rehabil Med.  1999 Jun;23(3):589-594.

Usefulness of Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials in the Diagnosis of Cerebellopontine Angle Tumors

• Yoon CH
• Shin HS
• Lee ES

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine the usefulness of brainstem evoked potential (BAEP) in the diagnosis of cerebellopontine angle (CPA) tumors. METHOD: Sixteen subjects in which BAEP study was compatible with CPA tumors were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed the results of BAEP, findings of CT and MRI, and clinical signs. RESULT: Thirteen subjects were reviewed and three were lost in follow-up. 1) CPA tumors were confirmed with CT/MRI in 10 subjects and the other 3 patients had other lesions which could be differentiated from CPA tumors clinically. The positive hit rate of BAEP was 76.9% in 13 patients whose findings were compatible with CPA lesion. 2) Of 10 patients with CPA tumor, the tumors were bilateral in 4 patients and unilateral in 6 patients, and the diagnosis of the tumors were vestibular schwannoma in 9 patients and meningioma in 1 patient. 3) The major symptoms of the patients with CPA tumors were hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness, facial nerve palsy, headache, cerebellar dysfunction, nystagmus, and vertigo. 4) The most common abnormal findings of BAEP in the patients with CPA tumors were increase in the interpeak latency I-III and I-V on the affected side and interpeak latency III-V on the unaffected side.
CONCLUSION
The BAEP considering clinical correlation is a useful study as a screening test in the diagnosis of CPA tumors because of its high positive hit rate and cost-effectiveness compared with CT/MRI.

Keyword

Brainstem auditory evoked potential; Cerebellopontine angle tumors; Screening test

MeSH Terms

Brain Stem*
Cerebellar Diseases
Cerebellopontine Angle*
Diagnosis*
Dizziness
Evoked Potentials
Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem*
Facial Nerve
Follow-Up Studies
Headache
Hearing Loss
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Mass Screening
Meningioma
Neuroma, Acoustic*
Paralysis
Retrospective Studies
Tinnitus
Vertigo