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This review article summarizes the subject of neurolemmomas in and around the temporal bone and was written as a component paper for a symposium on surgery of the skull base. The paper primarily discusses solitary schwannomas of the facial nerve, vestibular schwannomas, and jugular foramen schwannomas relative to incidence, signs and symptoms, and preferential diagnostic and therapeutic options. General considerations such as multiple neurofibromatosis, current nomenclature, and malignancy are defined.

Epidermoid carcinoma and angiofibroma are the commonly diagnosed lesions of the nasopharynx. Less common are unusual tumors of epithelial origin as well as those from endothelial and mesenchymal precursors. Otolaryngologists must be knowledgeable in the literature associated with these tumors to facilitate early diagnosis and to institute appropriate therapy. Cases of verrucous carcinoma, inverted papilloma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, and extramedullary plasmacytoma are presented. Current literature is reviewed and accepted modes of treatment are outlined.

Auditory brain stem response (ABR) thresholds for tone pip stimuli were compared with audiometric thresholds for 63 ears to assess the feasibility of deriving audiograms with ABR techniques. Correlations between the two measures were highly significant, indicating a high degree of accuracy in assessing degree and configuration of hearing loss with ABR. Patients with conductive losses showed a simple one-to-one relationship between ABR and audiometric thresholds, while patients with cochlear losses did not. Possibly this is due to the effects of abnormal temporal integration or poor frequency selectivity in this latter group.