Speech audiometry in acoustic neuroma

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Abstract
The importance of speech audiometry in cases of [human] sensori-neural deafness was stressed. Cases (4) were described. Speech audiometry is within the means of most practicing otologists. The appropriate apparatus is not expensive, nor is the method excessively time-consuming. In acoustic neuroma the damage to the cochlear nerve fibers may produce very little reduction in the hearing threshold level for pure tones, but a disproportionately large reduction in the discrimination score, often when the tumor is large enough to be causing brain stem compression. The disproportion indicates the presence of retro-cochlear pathology, of which acoustic neuroma is the most likely cause, a diagnosis which must be considered in every case of unilateral sensori-neural deafness.