Acoustic Neuroma

Preliminary Diagnosis: Neuroma

I. What imaging technique is first-line for this diagnosis?

Contrast-enhanced brain MRI and full internal auditory canal exam

II. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of this technique for diagnosis of neuroma.

Advantages

• Can rule out retrocochlear pathology with great precision and accuracy

• Visualizes the internal auditory canal, cerebellar pontine angle, and vestibular and cochlear nerves to detail extent of acoustic neuroma

Disadvantages

• Expensive

• Lengthy study

• Requires significant patient cooperation to minimize artifact.MR examinations do take some time to perform and may be subject to motion artifact, degrading image quality.

III. What are the contraindications for the first-line imaging technique?

• Contraindications to MRI include patients containing non-MR-compatible hardware.

IV. What alternative imaging techniques are available?

• No specific alternative imaging techniques exist.