Diagnosis of retrocochlear and central vestibular disease by magnetic resonance imaging.

Magnetic resonance imaging has become the study of choice for the diagnosis of retrocochlear and central vestibular disease. Three groups of lesions, each characterized by a specific site of origin, have been recognized: 1) petrous apex lesions such as congenital cholesteatomas and cholesterol granulomas involving the eighth cranial nerve within the internal auditory canal; 2) cerebellopontine angle tumors, mainly acoustic neuromas and meningiomas; and 3) CNS disease involving the brain stem and the central auditory and vestibular pathways such as tumors, multiple sclerosis, infarcts, and hemorrhage.