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Vasculae decompression of the cochlear nerve in tinnitus sufferers
Author(s) -
Meyerhoff William L.,
Mickey Bruce E.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1288/00005537-198806000-00004
Subject(s) - tinnitus , audiology , medicine , cochlear nerve , decompression , cochlea , surgery
An estimated 40 million Americans suffer from tinnitus, and approximately 20% of these sufferers feel that the quality of their life is significantly impaired by this symptom. Despite thorough evaluation, the underlying etiology in the majority of these patients remains obscure or conjectural. Most of these patients will, however, benefit from consultation and avoidance of caffeine, nicotine, and salt, while others require biofeedback, amplification, masking, and even psychotherapy. On rare occasions, physicians are presented with a patient complaining of unilateral tinnitus of undetermined etiology who, in spite of a thorough evaluation and all conventional therapies, continues to be severely handicapped by that symptom. Early findings suggest that these patients may be suffering from vascular loop compression of the cochlear division of the eighth cranial nerve. When patients are carefully selected, retrosigmoid decompression of that vascular loop has provided gratifying relief.