- Feb 25, 2025
- 9
- Tinnitus Since
- 2024
- Cause of Tinnitus
- Possibly Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
I've been struggling with pulsatile tinnitus 24/7 for the past six months, which was attributed to Eustachian Tube Dysfunction. I had the usual CT and MRI scans, but they were done on an open scanner, and I was told the image quality is not as good as that of a 3T closed MRI scanner. So I recently went through three new scans on the higher-resolution machine.
The report shows that I have two arteries in my head—the anterior inferior cerebellar arteries (AICAs)—that are looped and are touching both the vestibular nerve and the cochlear nerve on the left side of my head, which is also the side where I have the pulsatile tinnitus. On the right side, the arteries are close but not as close. This type of vascular contact is known to be related to pulsatile tinnitus, although many people with pulsatile tinnitus do not have a vascular cause.
I am still processing the news. I don't think it's great, but at least it's not a tumor. I believe my next step will be to consult either a neurologist or a neurosurgeon.
Has anyone had experience with this kind of situation? I'm feeling a bit shocked by it all.
The report shows that I have two arteries in my head—the anterior inferior cerebellar arteries (AICAs)—that are looped and are touching both the vestibular nerve and the cochlear nerve on the left side of my head, which is also the side where I have the pulsatile tinnitus. On the right side, the arteries are close but not as close. This type of vascular contact is known to be related to pulsatile tinnitus, although many people with pulsatile tinnitus do not have a vascular cause.
I am still processing the news. I don't think it's great, but at least it's not a tumor. I believe my next step will be to consult either a neurologist or a neurosurgeon.
Has anyone had experience with this kind of situation? I'm feeling a bit shocked by it all.
