Ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials and intravestibular intralabyrinthine schwannomas.

We describe a case of intravestibular ILS in which we included the ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMPs) test in the diagnostic workup. The oVEMPs test is a relatively new neurophysiologic diagnostic modality that evaluates the superior vestibular pathway and the ascending contralateral pathway through the vestibulo-ocular reflex. In our case, a 65-year-old man presented with progressive right-sided sensorineural hearing loss, dizziness, and tinnitus and fullness in his right ear. Audiovestibular examination and MRI detected an intravestibular ILS on the right. We found that oVEMPs were absent on the contralateral side, which contributed to the diagnostic process. The detection of oVEMPs can provide detailed information on the functionality of the macula of the utricle and the lateral and superior ampullary nerves, with a precise identification of the affected area. Based on our findings, we discuss the role of oVEMPs in the diagnosis of an intravestibular ILS. PMID: 30036442 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Ear, Nose and Throat Journal - Category: ENT & OMF Authors: Tags: Ear Nose Throat J Source Type: research