Acoustic neurinoma in a population of noise exposed workers

Regulations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration require the performance of audiometric tests on workers exposed to potentially hazardous noise levels. These tests are frequently performed by Occupational Hearing Conservationists who have taken a 20-hour course based on recommendations of the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation. Unless audiograms performed by such personnel are promptly reviewed and appropriate referral to specialists made, significant and potentially life-threatening otic disease may go undetected. This paper reports a series of workers with acoustic tumors initially detected by an Occupational Hearing Conservation Program. It is dangerous to assume that the hearing loss and tinnitus reported by noise-exposed workers is necessarily the result of workplace noise exposure.