If there is no obvious cause of the asymmetry such as unilateral trauma or unilateral noise exposure like gun blasts, a MRI should be ordered. MRI scans are superior in sensitivity for detecting retrocochlear pathologies such as vestibular schwannoma when compared to ABR testing.
Conditions: Asymmetrical hearing loss, vestibular schwannom
Diagnostic Tests: Auditory brainstem responses (ABR), MRI
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Sources
- Bozorg Grayeli A, Refass A, Smail M, et al. Diagnostic value of auditory brainstem responses in cerebellopontine angle tumours. Acta Otolaryngol. 2008 Oct;128(10):1096-100. (PubMed)
- Fortnum H, O’Neill C, Taylor R, et al. The role of magnetic resonance imaging in the identification of suspected acoustic neuroma: a systematic review of clinical and cost effectiveness and natural history. Health Technol Assess. 2009 Mar;13(18):iii-iv, ix-xi, 1-154. (PubMed)
- Koors PD, Thacker LR, Coelho DH. ABR in the diagnosis of vestibular schwannomas: a meta-analysis. Am J Otolaryngol. 2013 May-Jun;34(3):195-204. (PubMed)