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Acoustic neuroma

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

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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)

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