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Objective: Tinnitus is a known presenting symptom of acoustic neuromas (ANs); however, observation has previously had an unpredictable impact on tinnitus. Most patients experience improvement with treatment, whereas others may worsen. Therefore, this study was designed to assess the overall impact of observation and treatment on tinnitus outcome in patients with acoustic tumors.

Methods: The Acoustic Neuroma Association (ANA) 2007-2008 survey data were used. Tinnitus severity was graded both at presentation and at last follow-up for all patients questioned. The data were analyzed using Student t test and ANOVA analysis.

Results: Overall, there were more patients receiving intervention (n= 1138) for their AN than observation (n= 289). Presenting tumor size positively correlated with tinnitus severity score (r2= 0.01). Regardless of treatment (microsurgery or stereotactic radiation), tinnitus improved at last …