Microvascular decompression for typewriter tinnitus-case report.

Abstract

Microvascular decompression has been tested as a treatment for tinnitus. However, only a fraction of patients appear to benefit from surgery if the combination of findings such as paroxysmal vertigo, ABR changes and tinnitus is used to select patients for microvascular decompression. Instead, a more specific syndrome of staccato or "typewriter" tinnitus, which is highly responsive to carbamazepine, was suggested to be caused by a neurovascular conflict. We present the first case of typewriter tinnitus with complete long-term symptom relief following microvascular decompression of the vestibulocochlear nerve. We suggest that this specific syndrome is caused by a neurovascular conflict and treatable by microvascular decompression.