Question
I tested a five year old boy this week and was extremely confident in his responses. He has a moderate rising to slight SNHI in the right ear and a mild SNHI rising to normal in the left ear. He passed screening DPOAE on the left ear and referred on the right ear. My ENT ordered a CAT scan and an MRI. He also told me to schedule him for ABR. Is there any additional diagnostic information to be obtained from ABR?
Answer
According to the literature, it is possible that both MRI and CAT scan can miss small lesions that might be detectable via ABR. The new "stacked ABR" approach is especially suited for this situation. Thus, if your ENT physician suspects a small mass-occupying lesion, ABR, even the conventional method, may be useful.
John A. Ferraro, Ph.D.
Professor and Chairman
Hearing and Speech Department
University of Kansas Medical Center
Co-Director
KU Intercampus Program in Communicative Disorders Associate Dean for Research, School of Allied Health
Continued and its subsidiaries provide professional education authored by qualified Subject Matter Experts for continuing education purposes. These materials are intended for educational purposes and do not constitute medical advice or a substitute for individual clinical judgment. Continued is not a clinical healthcare provider; the licensed professional is solely responsible for ensuring that the application of any techniques or information presented is within their legal scope of practice and jurisdictional requirements.