MRI T2-Weighted Cochlear Intensity as a Predictor of Hearing Loss with Vestibular Schwannoma Patients

Abstract Objective It is difficult to predict how hearing loss will progress with vestibular schwannomas (VSs) and to determine the optimal time for hearing preservation interventions. This study investigated the relationship between cochlear intensity on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and hearing loss in VS patients over time. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Single major academic center. Participants Patients with a diagnosis of VS from 2007 to 2018. Main Outcome Measures Pure tone average (PTA) and cochlear-to-pontine relative signal intensity (RSI) measured at two time points. Results Fifty patients were included in the final analysis. For both affected and unaffected ears, the trend in PTA increased from baseline to follow-up. For affected ears, the trend in RSI increased from baseline to follow-up, while for the unaffected ears RSI decreased. There was a significant positive correlation between the initial RSI value in the ipsilateral ear when compared with the change in PTA from baseline to follow-up (r = 0.28, p = 0.048). Conclusion There is a trend between initial RSI and how hearing changes in the affected ears of patients with VS. Additional studies are needed to explore how this relationship may be better used to predict hearing loss.