INFORMATION ON AUDITORY TUMOR:-

An auditory tumor may be defined as a type of benign (non cancerous) brain tumor which grows in the middle ear. Auditory tumor is one of the most common types of benign brain tumors, and causes hearing loss.

The auditory nerve which connects the inner ear to the brain is responsible for sending information about hearing and maintains balance to the brain. The nerve normally is covered in layers with specialized cells called Schwann cells. When auditory tumor develops, the Schwann cells that surround the auditory nerve grow too rapidly. If an auditory tumor is not diagnosed earlier or treated effectively then, it can grow through the skull bones that make up the middle ear and press on important structures in the brain. This problem sometimes is also known as acoustic or vestibular schwannoma.

CAUSES OF AUDITORY TUMOR:-

The exact cause of auditory tumor is not known yet. But tumors often associated with neurofibromatosis 2, an inherited disorder characterized by tumors of the cranial and spinal nerves.

SYMPTOMS OF AUDITORY TUMOR:-

The earliest and most common symptoms of an auditory tumor are:-

1. Loss of hearing in one ear.
2. Tinnitus (a ringing, buzzing or noisy sound in the ear that may distort normal hearing).
3. Dizziness
4. Loss of balance or clumsiness
5. Facial weakness
6. Facial pain
7. Headache
8. Mental confusion.

DIAGNOSIS OF AUDITORY TUMOR:-

The diagnosis of auditory tumor involves physical examination of subject carried out by doctor in which he:-

1. Looks into subject’s ears with a lighted magnifying lens.
2. Use tuning forks to test subject’s hearing.
3. Examine subject’s nose, throat and neck.
4. Examine the nerves in your face.
5. Check subject’s balance.


Beside these physical examination various clinical procedure are available for confirmation of auditory tumor, these are:-

1. Audiogram test.
2. MRI.
3. CT scan.
4. Electronystagmography, for testing equilibrium and balance.
5. Brain stem auditory evoked response (BAER), a test of hearing and brain stem function.

TREATMENT OF AUDITORY TUMOR:-

Generally subjects with auditory tumor are treated with surgical procedure. The aim of surgery is to remove the tumor completely. Surgical procedure also used to preserve hearing and avoid damage to surrounding brain structures. Very rarely, some of the tumor must be left behind, or hearing must be sacrificed.

Some of the subjects may not want surgery, or surgery may be very risky. In these exceptional cases radiation therapy may be a good alternative. Radiation therapy will not remove auditory tumor completely, but may shrink the tumor and prevent further growth or the need for surgery.