Ninety-three patients with histolofically or radiolofically confiemd unilateral vestibular schwannomas were recruited. Audiological testing for retrocochelar pathology was undertaken. Patients' hospital records were examined for previous audiological and radiological results.The audiometric configuration was designated as one of the following normal, sloping, low frequency, peak, through or falt. A sloping sensorneural audiometric configuration was present in 68 pec cent of cases. No significant correlation was found between tumour size and average pure tone threshold 500 HZ to 4000 HZ, optimum discrimination score or interaural differences for wave V. Ninety-one per cent of cases had abnoramalities on auditory evoked potential; 92 per cent of cases showed abnormalities on stapedial reflex testing.The limitations of audiologica testing in the investigation of patients with suspected unilateral vestibular schwannomas are discussed. A protocol for the investigation of such patients is presented.
Ninety-three patients with unilateral vestibular schwannomas were examined in a clinical, genetic and audiological study, to determine whether they had features associated with neurofibromatosis Type 1 or neurofibromatosis Type 2. In 91 families, one patient only was found to be affected with a unilateral vestibular schwannoma. Patients did have a few café-au-lait macules, but fewer than six in number. None of the patients satisfied the cutaneous diagnostic criteria for neurofibromatosis Type 1. Neither Lisch nodules nor presenile posterior subcapsular lenticular opacities or cortical opacities were a feature. Five patients with unilateral vestibular schwannomas are described where the clinical findings raised the possibility of neurofibromatosis Type 2. It is suggested that certain individuals with unilateral vestibular schwannomas are at risk of developing neurofibromatosis Type 2. Furthermore, the possibility of neurofibromatosis Type 2 should be considered if more than one individual in a family is found to be affected with a unilateral vestibular schwannoma.
Background The Special Olympics offer the opportunity for athletes with intellectual disabilities to participate in a range of sports at regional, national and international level. A parallel Healthy Athletes programme was introduced to ensure safety at the games but also to collect data on the health needs of those with intellectual disabilities (ID). Method This study reports on the introduction of a hearing screen for the first time at national games in Great Britain. Given the availability of free local healthcare it was unclear whether the screen would simply duplicate services already accessed locally. Results Of the 996 athletes who went though the hearing screen 40% were identified with a previously unrecognised hearing loss, 52% required medical ear care and 43% required wax removal. Despite complex competing stimuli within the screening area only 15 of the subjects were unable to complete the full screen. Local clinical services are carried out in more controlled environments therefore it is reasonable to presume that it would be possible for them to provide assessment of ear care and ongoing audiological assessments where needed. It was found that carers and sports coaches were generally unaware of the hearing needs of the athletes, in spite of the fact that they worked so closely with them.Conclusions The importance of imparting information to carers and coaches, together with the need for access to regular ear care locally is underlined in this study.
Meeting the audiological management needs of deaf children with learning disabilities is demanding. The study specifi cally focused on the age at which audiological certainty, the degree, confi guration and type of hearing loss, was established in 20 individuals with severe learning disability. Audiological records relating to each individual were scrutinised in order to evaluate management history and degree of current audiological certainty. The study concluded that out of the cohort of 20 children and young people audiological certainty had been established in only two cases. Teachers of the Deaf are ideally placed to collect a range of information that would inform and assist in the process of assessing needs, hearing aid fi tting and on going validation. McCracken et al. 10 BOA = behavioural observation audiometry; DT = distraction test; Perf. test = performance test; PTA = pure tone audiometry; BC = bone conduction; Na = not attempted; n = number of times the test was undertaken.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.