Acoustic neuroma

An acoustic neuroma is a benign, slow growing neoplasm of the Schwann cells of the eighth cranial nerve (1,2)

• comprises about 6% of all intracranial tumors (2)
• lesions are usually located in the internal auditory canal or the cerebellopontine angle causing compression of the vestibular nerve and resulting eventually in deafness. Early diagnosis - and thus a high index of suspicion - is strongly influential to the prognosis (2)
• continuous growth of the neuroma may compress the brain stem and also increase intracranial pressure (2)
• in about 40% of patients a defect in the long arm of the 22nd chromosome has been detected (1)
• acoustic neuromas, particularly bilateral cases, may occur in patients with neurofibromatosis (1)

Reference:

• (1) Ramnarine Devindra, Whitfield Peter. Management of patients with vestibular schwannoma. ACNR 2005; 5(4) 2.
• (2) British association of otorhinolaryngologists 2002. Clinical effectiveness guidelines, Acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma)