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How effective and safe is audiologist-led screening of acoustic neuroma in patients with asymmetrical hearing loss and unilateral tinnitus?

 

 

 

About two out of 100 patients presenting with asymmetric hearing and unilateral tinnitus have acoustic neuroma. The traditional method in which these patients first attend a clinician and then undergo screening through an MRI, can be expensive and prolong the time taken for making a diagnosis. In the practice described in this publication, all patients under 75 years of age and fit for imaging, who had unilateral tinnitus or asymmetrical hearing loss or Meniere’s triad, underwent non-enhanced T2 weighted MRI screening. The referral for imaging was made directly by the audiologist if the audiogram showed a difference of 15dB or more in two or more consecutive frequencies from 0.5 to 4kHz. Acoustic neuroma was found in 27 out of 1126 patients (2.4%) and two had meningioma. This study did not use gadolinium contrast enhancement MRI for the screening. In four years, this practice saved the department about £165k. The prevalence of cerebello-pontine angle pathology matched with that published in literature. The study strongly supports that a well-planned practice such as this with a clear protocol can be as effective as traditional methods. The cost-saving value is particularly relevant in these difficult economic times for the NHS.

Audiologist-led screening of acoustic neuromas in patients with asymmetrical sensorineural and/or unilateral tinnitus: our experience in 1126 patients.
Abbas Y, Smith G, Trinidad A.
THE JOURNAL OF LARYNGOLOGY AND OTOLOGY
2018;132:786-9.
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