Vascular Loops at the Cerebellopontine Angle and their Correlation with Otological Symptoms

Abstract

Introduction: The most common otologic symptoms include hearing loss, tinnitus and dizziness. Cerebellopontine angle is an anatomical structure at which the vascular and neural structures highly interact with each other. The neurovascular structures in this region includes cranial nerves V, VII, VIII, Anterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery (AICA), auditory artery, branches of petrosal vein, vein of middle cerebellar peduncle, vein of lateral recess of 4th ventricle and transverse pontine vein. Aim: To determine the course of the vascular loops in cerebellopontine angle and to assess the relationship between the vascular loops in cerebellopontine angle with otological symptoms. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 40 patients with otological symptoms using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) at our institution between June 2017 to June 2018. Grading of the AICA vascular loops according to Chavda classification was done. Chi-square test was done. The p-value 0.05 which is statistically insignificant (p-value for tinnitus-0.793, hearing loss-0.503, dizinness-0.300). Conclusion: There is no association of the vascular loops with the otological symptoms. Hence, in view of the results obtained, the diagnosis of vascular compression syndromes should not be made only with the MRI imaging findings. Hence, vascular compression syndromes cannot be attributed as an aetiological factor for otological symptoms.

Keywords

• chavda classification
• dizziness
• hearing loss
• tinnitus