Diagnosis of intracranial lesions by vestibular tests.

Abstract

THE BASIS of this paper is the study of 30 patients with intracranial lesions, mostly tumors, confirmed at operation or autopsy, for whom a vestibular test was made previous to the surgical procedure. The patients were seen in the period from June 15, 1948 to June 15, 1949, during my residency in the service of otolaryngology at the Graduate Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Most of the patients were referred to the department by Dr. Robert A. Groff and Dr. Joseph C. Yaskin, chiefs of the departments of neurosurgery and neurology. All the patients presented here were neurologically examined and studied completely, and it is believed that in many instances a great deal of reliance was placed on the findings of the vestibular tests. It is desired to emphasize that while the vestibular tests are of great importance in making a diagnosis of brain lesion, and occasionally may be