Microvascular decompression of the vestibulocochlear nerve for disabling positional vertigo: the House Ear Clinic...

To review characteristics of and outcome in patients undergoing microvascular decompression of the vestibulocochlear nerve. Patients studied had a diagnosis of disabling positional vertigo caused by a vascular loop compressing the VIIIth cranial nerve.

Retrospective chart review and telephone interview.

Private practice tertiary neurotologic referral center.

Twenty patients with disabling positional vertigo underwent 25 retrosigmoid craniotomies for microvascular decompression between November 1990 and June 1999. The 4 men and 16 women ranged in age from 30 to 71 years (mean age, 46 yr).

Charts were reviewed and patients were contacted by telephone and asked to rate severity of symptoms (tinnitus and dizziness) on a 4-point scale (none = 1, mild = 2, moderate = 3, and severe = 4) before and after surgery. They were also asked to rate their overall disability from their symptoms on the six-point scale established by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Preoperative and postoperative four-frequency (500 Hz, 1 kHz, 2 kHz, and 4 kHz) pure-tone average and speech discrimination scores were calculated and compared. Complications of surgery are also reported.

Postoperative tinnitus score and dizziness score showed significant improvement from preoperative scores (p < or = 0.047 and p < or = 0.001, respectively), with 80% of patients improved in dizziness rating; 85% improved in their overall disability rating, and the difference from preoperative to postoperative was significant (p < or = 0.001). The mean postoperative pure-tone averages (15.4 dB) and speech discrimination scores (99%) did not differ from preoperative scores (11.9 dB and 98%). One patient lost all vestibular function in the operated ear (hearing remained intact) as the only complication of surgery. When asked, 83% of patients responded that they would have the surgery again.

Diagnosing disabling positional vertigo secondary to vascular compression of the VIIIth cranial nerve remains the clinical challenge; a clear history plus air-contrast computed tomographic or magnetic resonance imaging make the diagnosis. Microvascular decompression of the vestibulocochlear nerve is a safe and effective operation for these carefully selected patients.