To identify predictors of auditory function in treatment-naïve vestibular schwannomas (VS) while accounting for age-related hearing loss, investigating baseline volumetrics and audiometrics in a pre-intervention stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) cohort.
Audiologists and neurotologists managing vestibular schwannoma patients should account for tumour volume and patient age as independent predictors of hearing function when counselling on watchful waiting versus intervention.
Disentangling tumour-related hearing loss from age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) in vestibular schwannoma patients is essential for accurate prognosis and evidence-based management decisions.
- 01Large cross-sectional study of treatment-naïve vestibular schwannoma patients.
- 02Both tumour volume and patient age independently predicted degree of hearing loss.
- 03Findings highlight risk of attributing tumour-related hearing loss solely to normal ageing.
- 04Audiometric and volumetric data were collected and analysed together for robust comparison.
- 05Results support personalised counselling on hearing prognosis in this patient population.
Tumour volume is an independent predictor of auditory function in vestibular schwannoma patients beyond the effect of age-related hearing loss.
studysupportedAge-related hearing loss (presbycusis) and vestibular schwannoma-related hearing loss have separable, additive effects on audiometric outcomes.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42376593
- DOI
- 10.1002/oto2.70272.
- Journal
- OTO Open
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 2b
- Population
- Treatment-naïve vestibular schwannoma patients, cross-sectional sample
- Intervention
- Audiometric and volumetric assessment of vestibular schwannoma
- Comparator
- Age-matched normative hearing data / presbycusis-adjusted analysis
Primary outcomes
Audiometric outcomes (hearing thresholds) in relation to tumour volume; Independent contribution of age versus tumour volume to hearing loss