What can vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials tell us about vestibular schwannomas?

Abstract

A 27-year-old female presented with complaints of dizziness and tinnitus in the right ear. The neurological examination and the audiometry were completely normal. Ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potential (oVEMP) obtained by the stimulation of the right ear was absent, whereas bilateral cervical VEMPs and left-sided oVEMP response were normal. With the absence of hearing loss and absent oVEMP on the affected side, the superior vestibular nerve involvement was decided. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a vestibular schwannoma (VS) in the right cerebellopontine angle 32 mm × 31 mm in size. The patient was presented to show the contribution of cheap vestibular tests in the diagnosis of VSs as well as the prediction of the involved nerve. It was also interesting to see a tumor with a diameter exceeding 3 cm not causing hearing loss.

Keywords

• cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials
• magnetic resonance imaging
• ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials
• vestibular schwannoma