Screening for Retrocochlear Pathology

In 1982, 135 patients were screened for possible retrocochlear pathology, by means of an investigation protocol consisting of caloric test, impedance audiometry and brainstem response audiometry (BRA). A combination of the first two of these procedures had an unacceptably low prognostic accuracy. BRA indicated retrocochlear pathology in 8 and was inconclusive in 4 cases. Enhanced computer tomography revealed an intracranial tumour in 4 of the former, while no space-occupying lesion could be demonstrated in the remainder nor in the 4 patients with inconclusive BRA. BRA is the best single test for screening of this patient category.