Acoustic Neuroma
Pronunciation: a-KOO-stik nyoo-ROH-muh
A benign, slow-growing tumour arising from the Schwann cells of the vestibulocochlear nerve, also called vestibular schwannoma, associated with unilateral sensorineural hearing loss.
Full Definition
Acoustic neuroma (more precisely termed vestibular schwannoma) develops on the eighth cranial nerve (vestibulocochlear nerve) and can compress adjacent structures in the internal auditory canal or cerebellopontine angle. Audiological hallmarks include asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss, poor word recognition scores disproportionate to pure-tone thresholds, and abnormal auditory brainstem response findings. Editors should note that 'acoustic neuroma' is the historically established but technically imprecise clinical term, since the tumour does not arise from acoustic (cochlear) nerve fibres and is not a true neuroma. The preferred term in current clinical literature is 'vestibular schwannoma'; editors should query authors about preferred usage and flag inconsistency within a document.
Usage
Usage note: 'Acoustic neuroma' is widely used in patient-facing materials for accessibility, but clinical and research documents should prefer 'vestibular schwannoma'; standardise within each document.
In Context
- "MRI confirmed a left-sided vestibular schwannoma, consistent with the audiological findings of asymmetric high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss." — Neurotology referral letter
- "The patient leaflet retained the term 'acoustic neuroma' for clarity, though the clinical report used 'vestibular schwannoma' throughout." — Patient information document editorial note