C.A.T. Scanning in Tumours of the Cerebellopontine Angle

Abstract

The most common tumour of the cerebellopontine angle is the acoustic neuroma. A great improvement in the diagnosis of this lesion has occurred in the last 15 years or so, owing to the work of House, who has demonstrated that the tumour can be detected when quite small. The technical advances which have brought this about are the elaboration of neuro-otological tests to distinguish between deafness of cochlear and of neural origin, improved tomographic techniques for the demonstration of enlargement of the internal auditory meatus, the use of tomography allied to air encephalography to show relatively small tumours in the cerebellopontine angle, and of positive contrast cisternography to show tumours confined to the internal auditory canal.