Acoustic neuroma presenting with sudden and fluctuating hearing loss--a case report

A case of acoustic neuroma presenting with sudden and fluctuating hearing loss is reported. The patient was a 38-year-old Japanese woman who noticed a sudden onset of hearing loss and tinnitus in the right ear. With a provisional diagnosis of sudden deafness, she was subjected to conservative therapy, including steroid hormone. The hearing started to recover and reached a normal level 2 months after the treatment. Meanwhile, the results of an ABR and plain skull X-rays aroused a suspicion of acoustic neuroma. She was operated on via a middle cranial fossa approach and an acoustic neuroma occupying the internal auditory meatus was removed.