Acoustic neuroma is diagnosed using a hearing test (audiogram) and imaging (MRI). Treatment can include observation (watching and waiting), surgery or radiation. Other names for acoustic neuroma or vestibular schwannoma include acoustic schwannoma, vestibular neuroma, auditory neuroma and inner ear tumor.
Tumors often start as scaly areas or white bumps on the outside of the ear. The area might ooze or drain. A tumor also might start inside the ear canal. The patient might notice drainage from the canal or pain inside the ear.
Because inner ear tumors are difficult to reach and biopsy, your provider may order a CT scan or MRI to learn more about an ear issue. In rare cases, you may need surgery to diagnose an ear tumor.
Benign bony tumors of the ear canal (exostoses and osteomas) are caused by excess growth of bone. Repeated exposure to cold water may increase the risk for benign bony tumors of the ear canal.
The most common type seen is squamous cell carcinoma, but other types of cancers include basal cell carcinoma, melanoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and others.
Symptoms. Bloody drainage from the ear is the most common symptom. Hearing loss can also occur.
Noncancerous ear tumors
Most osteomas and exostoses are small and require no treatment. The most effective treatment for large osteomas and exostoses that obstruct the ear canal, trap water, and/or cause infection or hearing loss is surgical removal. After treatment, hearing usually returns to normal.
Yet a common place for squamous cell carcinoma to develop when it does affect the ear is within the temporal bone. This condition is life-threatening as the tumor can spread to the brain and the nerves around the ear.
An acoustic neuroma is a type of non-cancerous (benign) brain tumour. It's also known as a vestibular schwannoma.
Many patients see an otolaryngologist (ENT) for hearing loss or a ringing sound, and their audiogram shows hearing loss in one ear. The definitive test is an MRI scan with contrast. MRIs can identify tumors as small as 1 mm.
Dr. Harris: If someone has hearing loss in one ear and not the other, it's a red flag that deserves investigation. Rarely, vertigo, or a room spinning sensation, may also be a symptom. When the tumor is large enough to compress the brain stem, headaches and other symptoms can arise.
CT scans use electromagnetic radiation to take a series of X-rays of the interior structures of the ear and create a computerized three-dimensional image. CT scans may reveal damage to the bony components of the ear or an abnormal bone growth in the middle ear, a condition called otosclerosis.
For large tumors, it is not possible to preserve hearing. Risk of facial nerve and hearing complications after the treatment increases when the tumor is large. Most of the patients undergoing this procedure survive with a mortality rate of less than 0.5%.
Acoustic neuromas, also known as vestibular schwannomas, are noncancerous tumors that grow in the ear, and that can affect hearing and balance. Otolaryngology–head and neck surgeon Francis Creighton, M.D., and neurosurgeon Christopher Jackson, M.D., offer insights about these rare tumors and their treatment options.
Occasionally, a lump felt behind the ear is a tumor. Most tumors found behind the ear are benign as cancerous tumors are uncommon in that area of the body. If a lump is hard, fixed in place and/or uneven in shape, it might be a sign that it is cancerous.
Short answer: probably not. Most ringing in the ear is a frustrating but straightforward case of tinnitus. Sometimes, however, the tone you're hearing may be symptomatic of other issues, including the presence of a noncancerous tumor on the auditory nerve, called an acoustic neuroma.
The most common symptoms of an acoustic neuroma include hearing loss, tinnitus, and issues with maintaining your balance. If an acoustic neuroma grows, it may press on vital structures and nerves including the brainstem.
Key Takeaways. Acoustic neuromas are very rare. When diagnosed and treated early, the patient may avoid potentially life-threatening symptoms. As a result, the condition is almost never fatal.
Surgery for an acoustic neuroma is performed under general anesthesia. Surgery involves removing the tumor through the inner ear or through a window in your skull. Sometimes removing the tumor may worsen symptoms if the hearing, balance, or facial nerves are irritated or damaged during the operation.
These tests create detailed pictures of structures inside the body, including the inner ear, the nerves surrounding the ear, and the brain. An MRI scan may reveal a growth or tumor near the ear or the eighth cranial nerve that could be causing tinnitus. Imaging tests can also help doctors evaluate pulsatile tinnitus.
Symptoms of Pulsatile Tinnitus
The most common symptom of pulsatile tinnitus is regularly hearing a steady beat or whooshing sound. The beat or sound is often in synch with the patient's heartbeat. When their heart rate increases, the beat or sound will become faster; when it decreases, the beat or sound will slow.
Sometimes, skin cells inside your ear can do this and cause a lump called a cholesteatoma. The lump typically starts deep in your ear near your eardrum and grows toward your middle and inner ear. Cholesteatomas aren't cancerous. But if you don't treat them, they can cause problems, including hearing loss.
Polyps are commonly associated with cholesteatoma. Aural polyp from the middle ear composed of granulation tissue showing a mucous membrane side with low colum- nar cells (single arrow) and a squamous side (double arrows) facing outward (metaplasia). The large spaces with endothelial lining are blood vessels.
Most patients with aural polyps complain of pain and discomfort. The severity of the pain depends on the extent of the polyp and the pain tolerance capacity of an individual.