Evaluation of video Head Impulse Test (v-HIT) in the diagnosis of acoustic neuroma

Abstract

Introduction: The majority of injuries involving the internal auditory canal correspond to vestibular schwannomas (90%). Within the new diagnostic tests for the ves­tibular system appears the Head Impulse test and the video head impulse test (v-HIT) which allows the studying of all the semicircular canals. Aim: Compare the v-HIT lateral semicircular canals with classical caloric tests re- corded by videonistagmography (VNG) in the behavior of intracanalicular neuroma and evaluate its usefulness as a diagnostic test. Material and method: Eigtheen patients were enrolled with a diagnosis of schwannomas, confirmed by MRI and studied classical caloric tests and v-HIT for horizontal channel. Results: Abnormal results of asymmetry gain, and corrective saccades was 13 patients (72%) and hypoexcitability in the caloric test was 9 patients (50%), with a test sensitivity of 72% for vHIT and 50% for caloric test compared with MRI. Conclusions: The v-HIT is a complementary tool to caloric tests and should be included as a diagnostic test within the battery of tests to evaluate the vestibular system in complete form by vestibulogram.