[Computer tomography in the diagnosis of neurinomas of the acoustic nerve]

Computer-aided tomography (CT) was used in the examination of 259 patients with neurinoma of the acoustic nerve. Characteristic direct and indirect signs of the tumor and the degree of their manifestation depending on the size and predominant direction of the growth of the neurinoma were determined. In 46 patients the size of the tumour established by computer-aided tomography was compared with that revealed on operation. It was established that computer-aided tomography demonstrates exactly the true size of tumors whose compactness is greater than that of the brain matter. It is difficult to determine by CT the true size of tumors of low density and particularly those possessing isodensity; in some cases they are much larger than conceived from analysis of the computer-aided tomograms. Tumors less than 10 mm in diameter which cannot be recognized by ordinary CT can be diagnosed by CT and cisternography with amipak.