Acoustic tumors: effect of surgical removal on tinnitus

Tinnitus is common in patients with acoustic tumors and may be the initial symptom leading to diagnosis. We might anticipate that tumor removal would alleviate preoperative tinnitus. However, few have studied this systematically. Further, the effect of tumor removal in those with no preoperative tinnitus has rarely been examined. In this study, a questionnaire was sent retrospectively to patients who had undergone surgical removal of an acoustic tumor, addressing the characteristics of tinnitus, and asking whether surgery had directly affected tinnitus. A total of 134 questionnaires were returned. Those who indicated preoperative tinnitus tended to show small but statistically significant improvements in the perceived severity of the tinnitus after surgery, although the symptom rarely resolved entirely. Those with no preoperative tinnitus have an approximately 50 percent chance of developing it following surgery.