Treatment of Acoustic Neuromas

Abstract

Acoustic neuromas (vestibular schwannomas) are benign tumors of the eighth cranial nerve. They are unilateral and typically become symptomatic after the age of 30 years. Bilateral tumors usually are present in type 2 neurofibromatosis, are transmitted in an autosomal dominant fashion, and have a deletion in the long arm of chromosome 22, probably representing inactivation of a tumor-suppressor gene. Acoustic neuromas usually present with tinnitus, a unilateral reduction in hearing, and gait imbalance. If these symptoms are disregarded and the tumor becomes large, it can lead to facial numbness, weakness or twitching, or even signs of brain-stem compression, such as . . .