Is the presence of transient evoked otoacoustic emissions in ears with acoustic neuroma significant?

One hundred sixty eight patients admitted for acoustic neuroma removal were involved in this study. In all cases, the size of the tumor and the presence or absence of tinnitus and vertigo or dizziness were evaluated. Investigated functional procedures included bilateral measures of pure-tone audiometry (PTA), auditory brainstem response (ABR), electronystagmography (ENG), and transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs). Thirty-five patients (21%) had normal preoperative TEOAEs in the affected ear, whereas 133 patients (79%) failed to show reproducible responses, The aims of this study were 1. to evaluate what distinguishes patients with preoperative TEOAEs in the pathological ear (group A) from those who had no TEOAE (group B); and 2. to determine in cases of attempted hearing preservation whether preoperative TEOAE presence in the neuroma ear (group C) was predictive of postoperative hearing preservation compared with the group of patients without TEOAEs (group D). The presence of vertigo or dizziness was significantly less frequent, the age was lower, and preoperative mean PTA loss in both ears was lower in group A compared with group B. Frequency of the other studied parameters and ABR threshold were similar in both groups. When hearing preservation was attempted, the mean preoperative PTA loss of group C patients was lower in both ears compared with group D. However, postoperative mean PTA loss did not significantly differ in the two groups. In group C, the percentage of hearing preservation (66.6%) was significantly higher than the percentage of deafness (33.4%), whereas in group D the percentage of postoperative preserved audition and deafness did not significantly differ (respectively 44.4% and 55.6%). The findings suggest that 1. TEOAEs in ears with acoustic neuromas are found in younger patients with a lower preoperative mean PTA loss and are accompanied by fewer functional complaints, perhaps because preserved TEOAEs indicate a better preservation of inner ear vasculature; and, 2. along with radiological and electrophysiological investigations, TEOAE presence in the pathological ear could provide an additional criterion or predictive factor for the successful outcome of attempted hearing-conservation surgery in ears with acoustic neuromas.