Neurotologic Evaluation of Subjects with Acoustic Neuromas and Other Cerebellopontine Angle Neoplasms

Objectives: To verify the quantitative parameters of saccades fixed and randomized; and caloric test in patients with CPA tumors and compare them with normal individuals; and verify the efficacy of the three types of treatment of these lesions (surgical resection, radiotherapy, and conservative treatment) based on vestibular function. Casuistic and Methods: Overall 60 individuals with CPA tumors were selected. Total 28 subjects were submitted to surgical extirpation of their neoplasms (group 1); 4 patients underwent radiotherapy (group 2); and 28 patients were followed for conservative treatment (group 3) as their lesions presented no growth since the diagnosis. All subjects underwent vector electronystagmography tests 6 months after their respective treatments. A control group of 20 individuals with no CPA lesions or audio vestibular complaints was also selected (group 0). Results: There were no differences between the groups for fixed saccades. In randomized saccades, the latencies for the surgical group than the ones for the control group; and so for the patients of group 3 in relation to the control group. In the caloric testing, only difference between groups 0 and 1 was found and the peak velocities of the nystagmus of the surgical resection group were higher than the ones for the normal group. Peak velocity in cold caloric test was higher in group 3 than group 1 and so in group 3 than group 2. Conclusion: A more depressed caloric response was found in the surgical and radiation groups.