Type of publication:
Conference abstract
Author(s):
Kumar S., Olaitan A., Danino J., Scott A.
Citation:
Otorhinolaryngologist, 2016, vol./is. 9/1(9-13)
Abstract:
Introduction: We aimed to assess whether MRI scans for screening of vestibular schwannoma (VS) are a cost effective tool and how best to maximise their positive yield. Materials and Methods: We undertook a retrospective analysis of 1000 scans to assess the diagnostic yield and the sensitivity and specificity of four published protocols Results: Of 756 patients included 8 patients were positively identified with a VS. If only patients who had either a 15dB or 20dB hearing loss at any single frequency underwent screening the number of negative scans would have been reduced by over 50%. No patients with unilateral tinnitus alone and normal hearing (8.6%) were diagnosed with VS. Discussion: To reduce the burden of MRI scans all departments should scan in accordance with a published protocol.