Pulse synchronous tinnitus – Diagnosis and treatment

At the Department of Neuroradiology, we diagnose pulse synchronous tinnitus, clarify the underlying cause and treat you with state-of-the-art endovascular procedures.

Advantages and disadvantages

  • Endovascular procedures are minimally invasive. We access and treat the vessels through a small incision in the groin or arm. No open surgery is required, which would bear greater risks and increase recovery time.
  • Even endovascular procedures, however, bear certain risks; for example, blood vessels may be injured during treatment. These risks vary from case to case and are carefully clarified by us in advance.
  • The alternative is conservative treatment (without intervention) or direct surgery. Internationally renowned institution

Course of treatment

Diagnosis

First, we perform a physical examination to determine whether venous or arterial blood vessels cause the tinnitus.

Precise imaging and, if necessary, a functional catheter angiography can usually identify the tinnitus’ source. Moreover, we will use imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) to visualize the cerebral vessels and to show where they are located in relation to the bones and the ear. These imaging methods also helps us to evaluate if vascular malformations (DAVF) or tumors are present.

If the diagnosis remains unclear, we perform a functional catheter angiography (DSA). Here you’ll need to cooperate with the attending physician to find the head position where the tinnitus is loudest. During this examination, we can also temporarily close selected vessels to test if this stops the tinnitus.

Treatment

Once the cause of the pulse synchronous tinnitus is clear, we discuss treatment options with you. It is crucial to weigh the severity of the symptoms against the risk of treatment.

If you would benefit from endovascular treatment, we then draw up a timely appointment, taking into account the urgency of the treatment and your specific wishes. “Endovascular” means that the treatment takes place within the vessels, for example using balloons or stents. Which type of endovascular treatment we use depends on the cause of the tinnitus:

  • DAVF are treated with minimally invasive procedures.
  • Hypervascular tumors can be treated by surgery, embolization, or a combination of both.
  • For the other vascular causes of tinnitus, we will select one of several treatment options based on the patient’s needs.

The treatment requires a hospital stay of three to four days. You will arrive the morning before the procedure and we will assess your status and make the final preparations. We will use this opportunity to answer any questions you might have. On the day of the procedure, you will be taken from the ward to one of our two procedure rooms, where the surgical team will meet you and perform the procedure.

Aftercare

Immediately after the procedure, we will examine you to make sure everything went well. We will then transfer you to a specialized monitoring ward where you will be cared for until the next day. The following day, you will undergo a magnetic resonance examination to assess the surgical outcome and rule out any complications. Usually, you will then return to the standard ward and after another one or two days you will consult with a specialist and can then go home. During this last consultation, we will schedule appointments for further check-ups.

Hospital stay 3-4 days

Responsible senior physicians

Zsolt Kulcsar, PD Dr. med.

Director of Department, Department of Neuroradiology

Tel. +41 44 255 56 00
Specialties: Diagnostic and interventional neuroradiology, Minimally invasive treatment of neurovascular disease patterns., Neurovascular imaging

Tilman Schubert, PD Dr. med. univ.

Senior Attending Physician, Department of Neuroradiology

Tel. +41 44 255 56 00
Specialties: Interventional neuroradiology, Diagnostic Neuroradiology

Jawid Madjidyar, Dr. med.

Attending Physician, Department of Neuroradiology

Tel. +41 44 255 56 00
Specialties: Interventional neuroradiology, Diagnostic Neuroradiology, Diagnostic radiology

Patrick Thurner

Attending Physician, Department of Neuroradiology

Tel. +41 44 255 56 00

For patients

As a patient, you cannot register directly for an appointment. Please ask your physician to refer you to our clinic or to register you for the neurovascular consultation hour. ​

 

If you have any questions, please contact our patient secretariat.

Tel. +41 44 255 56 01
Contact form

For referring physicians

Register your patient for our neurovascular consultation hour through the online form or through an e-mail to the patient secretariat.

Tel. +41 44 255 56 01
Online referral form

Responsible Department

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