In article <3eqt43$hln at geraldo.cc.utexas.edu>,
Jeffrey Sirianni <sirianni at uts.cc.utexas.edu> wrote:
>>We have been told that the major deficit to patients with respect to the
8th >>cranial nerve is loss of hearing.
>>We have been told that balance is less likely to be damaged.
>>A clinician lecturing the class proposed that the reason why
>>balance is spared usually is because the lesion is slow-growing
>>and therefore patients have time to adapt to vestibular losses.
>>How plausible an explanation is this?
>>This does appear to be the case...
...
>Most patients do not expereince vestibular signs until the growth
>becomes rather large, but I am open for rebutal on this...
>>Keep in mind that the signs and symptoms of an acoustic neuroma
>are mainly manifested in auditory complaints. Ironically, the
>origin of most acoustic neuromas is from the Schwann cells covering
>the vestibular portion of the 8th cranial nerve (vestibular schwannoma).
>>>--M.McClure
>Jeff Sirianni
Here's a possible explanation that does not depend on the rate of tumor
growth:
Perhaps it is easier for the patient to notice a unilateral hearing
loss than a unilateral loss of balance. If one vestibular input is
destroyed, the patient still has one left, so there is not a noticeable
loss in balance. However, loss of hearing in one ear is very easy to
notice. Therefore the patient complains of loss of hearing, not balance.
Tom
