Acoustic Neuroma: Symptoms, Complaints, Signs

The following symptoms and complaints may indicate acoustic neuroma:

Leading symptoms

  • Unilateral decrease in hearing (hearing loss), especially high-frequency hearing loss
  • Hearing loss (sudden onset, unilateral, almost complete hearing loss).
  • Balance disorders, possibly also gait insecurity (with Verlaufsbeoabchtung: disturbed sense of balance is considered a risk factor for tumor growth).
  • Sensorineural hearing loss
  • Vertigo (dizziness): staggering vertigo, less commonly a spinning vertigo (greatest impact on quality of life; predictor of work disability)
  • Sensory disturbances in the external auditory canal
  • Tinnitus (ringing in the ears), especially in the high-frequency range (in untreated patients, tinnitus is statistically associated with tumor growth)
  • Ear pain (otalgia)
  • Facial dustiness due to facial nerve palsy* (fascial nerve, VII cranial nerve) – paralysis of the nerve that innervates the facial muscles; in large tumors.
  • Dysphagia* (dysphagia), pain on swallowing* , and dysgeusia* (taste disorders) in the posterior third of the tongue (glossopharyngeal nerve, IX cranial nerve; vagus nerve, X cranial nerve)
  • Trigeminal hypesthesia* (trigeminal nerve, V. cranial nerve) – decrease in pain sensation of the trigeminal nerve (cranial nerve; in large tumors).

* Late symptoms for acoustic neuroma growing toward the base of the skull.

Symptoms often appear late because acoustic neuroma grows very slowly (over years, not uncommonly over decades).