The early diagnosis of acoustic neurinomas

: The work analyses the results of complex examination (by an otoneurologist and neuroroentgenologist) of 34 patients with neurinoma of the 8th cranial nerve measuring from 13 to 25 mm. It is difficult to establish the diagnosis of neurinoma of the 8th nerve in the early stage; its recognition is based on the combination of otoneurological findings and the results of computed tomography, particularly computed cisternography with Amipaque. Despite the small size of the tumor, all patients had local symptomatology in the form of unilateral neurosensory deficiency or deficiency of hearing, vestibular excitability, and taste (on the anterior two thirds of the tongue). Three variants of tumor localization were distinguished by computed tomography: inside the canal, lateral, and medial. Computed cisternography with Amipaque yielded additional information on the size of the tumors and showed more exactly their relation to the brain stem. The results of computed tomography and cisternography corresponded completely to the otoneurological data which reflected the degree of the tumors' effect on the brain stem structures adequately and subtly.