BILATERAL ACOUSTIC NEUROMA

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of acoustic neuroma are frequently mild and may take many years to occur. They emerge from the tumor’s effects on hearing and balance. Weight from the tumor on neighboring nerves controlling facial muscles and sensation (facial and trigeminal nerves), blood vessels, or brain structures may similarly cause issues.

The usual signs and symptoms of acoustic neuroma include:

• Hearing loss that may be progressive, despite it being unexpected sometimes, and happens on just a single side or extending to the other side.
• Ringing (tinnitus) in the affected ear
• Unsteadiness, loss of balance
• Dizziness (vertigo)

In uncommon cases, an acoustic neuroma may develop sufficiently large enough to affect the brainstem and become dangerous.

Diagnosis

A physical exam, including an ear exam, is usually the initial phase in acoustic neuroma diagnosis and treatment.

Your specialist may also request the following tests:

Hearing test (audiometry). In this test, done by an audiologist, you hear sounds coordinated to one ear at any given time.

Imaging. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the favored imaging test to affirm the presence of acoustic neuroma and can identify tumors as little as 1 to 2 millimeters in size.

Treatment

Your acoustic neuroma treatment may vary depending on the size and development of the acoustic neuroma, your general condition, and your symptoms. To treat acoustic neuroma, your doctor may propose at least one of three potential treatment techniques: observation, surgery or radiation treatment.

Observation

If you have a little acoustic neuroma that isn’t growing or is developing gradually and causes few or no symptoms, you may choose to observe it, particularly you are in your senior years.

Surgery

You may require surgery to remove an acoustic neuroma. Your doctor may utilize one of a few methods for expelling an acoustic neuroma, depending on the size of your tumor, hearing status and different factors.