Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffBecause signs and symptoms of acoustic neuroma are likely to develop gradually and because hearing loss, tinnitus and problems with balance can be indicators of other middle and inner ear problems, it may be difficult for your doctor to detect the tumor in its early stages. Acoustic neuromas often are found during screening for other conditions.
After asking questions about your symptoms, your doctor will conduct an ear exam and may request the following tests:
- Hearing test (audiometry). During this test conducted by a hearing specialist (audiologist), you wear earphones and hear sounds directed to one ear at a time. The audiologist presents a range of sounds of various tones and asks you to indicate each time you hear the sound. Each tone is repeated at faint levels to find out when you can barely hear. The audiologist will also present various words to determine your hearing ability.
- Brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER). This test checks hearing and neurological functions. Electrodes on your scalp and earlobes capture your brain's responses to clicking noises you hear through earphones and record the responses on a graph.
- Electronystagmography (ENG). This test evaluates balance (vestibular) function by detecting abnormal rhythmic eye movement (nystagmus) often present with inner ear conditions. The test measures your involuntary eye movements while stressing your balance in various ways.
- Scans. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computerized tomography (CT) scans of your head can provide images that confirm the presence of an acoustic neuroma.
References
- Acoustic neuroma. American Hearing Research Foundation. http://www.american-hearing.org/disorders/acoustic-neuroma/. Accessed June 14, 2010.
- Vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma) and neurofibromatosis. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing/acoustic_neuroma.asp. Accessed June 14, 2010.
- Park JK, et al. Vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma). http://www.uptodate.com. Accessed June 14, 2010.
- Radiosurgery practice guideline initiative: Stereotactic radiosurgery for patients with vestibular schwannomas. International RadioSurgery Association. 2006: #4-06. http://www.irsa.org/AN%20Guideline.pdf. Accessed June 14, 2010.
Find Mayo Clinic on