The changing characteristics of acoustic neuroma patients over the last 10 years

The first 100 patients in a series of 616 cerebellopontine angle tumors were compared to the most recent 100 patients. All of the first 100 patients were evaluated prior to the common use of CT or ABR. Recently, improved diagnostic studies have resulted in the discovery of significantly smaller tumors. The later group of patients was also found to have their symptoms for a shorter period of time and had better overall hearing at the time of diagnosis. Reductions in the rates of various complications were also observed. These trends are felt to be the direct result of improved audiologic and radiologic diagnostic studies. A heightened awareness of all otolaryngologists to seek the diagnosis of acoustic neuroma also improved early diagnosis.