Vestibular Schwannomas (aka Acoustic Neuromas)

Host: Darryl S. Chutka, M.D. [@chutkaMD] Guest: Michael J. Link, M.D. Guest: Matthew L. Carlson, M.D. Hearing loss is a commonly seen symptom in a primary care office practice, as is tinnitus and vertigo. Fortunately, they’re almost always due to a benign cause. However, these symptoms may represent something more ominous, an acoustic neuroma, also known as a vestibular schwannoma. It’s important to consider this diagnosis when we see them in our patients, as there is the potential for serious consequences to develop if this remains untreated. What type of hearing loss is associated with a vestibular schwannoma? What are the other associated symptoms? How do we go about evaluating these patients and how are they best treated? I’ll be asking these questions of our guests Michael J. Link, M.D., a neurosurgeon from the Department of Neurologic Surgery and Mathew L. Carlson, M.D., a head and neck surgeon from the Department of Otolaryngology, both at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Our topic for this podcast is vestibular schwannomas. Connect with the Mayo Clinic’s School of Continuous Professional Development online at https://ce.mayo.edu/ or on Twitter @MayoMedEd.