[Retrocochlear deafness, acoustic neurinoma and early evoked auditory potentials--apropos of a series of 113 patients]

Abstract

The results of brainstem evoked response audiometry (BERA) in a series of 113 patients with neurosensory hearing loss from both tumoral and non tumoral origin are reported. In 37 cases of non tumoral pathology, confirmed by CT-scan or NMR (14 cases) a retrocochlear type of evoked response was observed. The tumoral cases were mainly neurinomas (70 cases). There was a kophosis in 14 cases, typical retrocochlear responses in 52 cases, doubtful responses in 2 cases and in another 2 cases no electrophysiological disturbances could be observed. The systematic stimulation at 4 KHz seems to sensitize the BERA method. According to the authors it remains the first choice investigation technique of unilateral hearing loss. The results of this study are compared with those of the literature.