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Acta Neurochirurgica Dec 2023Hydrocephalus (HC) is common in patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS). This can be managed with a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion procedure prior to VS resection...
BACKGROUND
Hydrocephalus (HC) is common in patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS). This can be managed with a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion procedure prior to VS resection or with VS resection, keeping CSF diversion in reserve unless required postoperatively. No clear consensus exists as to which approach is superior. This study identifies factors predictive of the development of HC, and analyses outcomes for those managed with primary CSF resection versus tumour resection.
METHODS
Single-centre retrospective cohort study of 204 consecutive adult patients with a unilateral VS from May 2009 to June 2021. Data was collected on patient and tumour demographics, management, and outcome.
RESULTS
204 patients, with a mean age at presentation of 59.5 (21-83), with 50% female, and a mean follow-up of 7.5 years (1.8-13.9) were included. 119 were managed conservatively, 36 with stereotactic radiosurgery only, and 49 with surgery. 30 (15%) patients had radiological HC, of which 23 (77%) were obstructive, and 7 (23%) were communicating. Maximum intracranial tumour diameter and Koos grade were higher in patients with HC. Of the patients with HC the majority (20, 67%) were managed initially with CSF diversion, with 12 patients undergoing subsequent tumour resection, and three patients avoiding primary resection. Nine (30%) were managed with primary surgical resection, of whom three required subsequent CSF diversion. Complication rates and Modified Rankin Scale (MRS) were comparable or lower in the CSF diversion group (8%, MRS ≤2 = 83%), versus the primary resection group (67%, MRS ≤2 = 67%), and the primary surgical resection without HC group (25%, MRS ≤2 = 86%).
CONCLUSIONS
CSF diversion prior to tumour resection is a safe and acceptable strategy compared to primary VS resection, with improved outcomes and reduced surgical complications. Randomized studies and national databases are needed to determine the long-term outcomes of patients treated with CSF diversion versus primary resection.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Female; Male; Retrospective Studies; Neuroma, Acoustic; Hydrocephalus; Brain Neoplasms; Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt
PubMed: 37935949
DOI: 10.1007/s00701-023-05866-2 -
Journal of Clinical Neuroscience :... Oct 2023Acoustic neuroma (AN) research largely employs a medical framework to understand health outcomes. An alternative is to examine quality of life (QOL) outcomes. This study...
INTRODUCTION
Acoustic neuroma (AN) research largely employs a medical framework to understand health outcomes. An alternative is to examine quality of life (QOL) outcomes. This study explored whether mental well-being (i.e., anxiety and depression) were predictive of QOL in those with AN over and above symptomatology.
METHODS
A nationwide online survey was distributed to 24 community organisations. The inclusion criteria were a diagnosis of AN irrespective of the treatment approach. There were 52 respondents. Mental well-being was assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and quality of life was assessed using Penn Acoustic Neuroma QOL scale (PANQOL).
RESULTS
The most frequently reported symptoms reported were poor balance, tinnitus, hearing loss, and headache. Preliminary analyses suggested that headaches, tinnitus and mental well-being were significantly correlated with QOL. Hierarchical regression revealed that these two symptoms and mental well-being accounted for 18.7% and 51.1% of the variance in QOL, respectively. In addition, there was a significant difference in depression scores between management types, with the surgery group having a significantly higher depression score than the radiation group.
CONCLUSION
Symptoms and mood contribute to QOL for those diagnosed with AN. This can be understood through the common-sense model and fear of cancer recurrence. Screening for psychological difficulties should be provided from the point of diagnosis to post-treatment to allow for targeted management plans to mitigate the effects of these on QOL.
Topics: Humans; Quality of Life; Neuroma, Acoustic; Tinnitus; Psychological Well-Being; Mental Health; Headache
PubMed: 37597328
DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2023.08.005 -
Sichuan Da Xue Xue Bao. Yi Xue Ban =... Jul 2022Vestibular schwannoma (VS) is one of the most common types of benign tumors of the central nervous system. At present, the prevailing treatment methods of VS include... (Review)
Review
Vestibular schwannoma (VS) is one of the most common types of benign tumors of the central nervous system. At present, the prevailing treatment methods of VS include surgery, stereotactic radiotherapy, and follow-up observation, etc. However, there is still no drug therapy available for treating VS. Although the surgical technique is relatively mature, the complications cannot be completely avoided. Furthermore, both the growth rate of different cases and patients' sensitivity to radiotherapy vary greatly. With the constant progress made in molecular biology research, most of the studies on the growth mechanism of VS focus on the upstream and downstream of neurofibromin 2 ( 2) gene and merlin protein, and a number of corresponding targets, including receptor protein tyrosine kinase (RTK), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) and platelet derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR). It has been reported in some studies that quite a few drugs could inhibit the proliferation of VS cells. Most of the studies are still in the stage of cell experiment and/or animal experiment. A small number of studies have entered phase Ⅰ and phase Ⅱ clinical trials, but have not led to any clinical treatment yet. This paper provides a comprehensive understanding of the current status and the prospects of drug therapies of VS, which is conducive to the development of subsequent research.
Topics: Animals; Mammals; Neurofibromin 2; Neuroma, Acoustic; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
PubMed: 35871721
DOI: 10.12182/20220760202 -
Advances in Experimental Medicine and... 2023Schwannomas are benign tumors originating from the Schwann cells of cranial or spinal nerves. The most common cranial schwannomas originate from the eight cranial...
Schwannomas are benign tumors originating from the Schwann cells of cranial or spinal nerves. The most common cranial schwannomas originate from the eight cranial nervevestibular schwannomas (VS). VS account for 6-8% of all intracranial tumors, 25-33% of the tumors localized in the posterior cranial fossa, and 80-94% of the tumors in the cerebellopontine angle (CPA). Schwannomas of other cranial nerves/trigeminal, facial, and schwannomas of the lower cranial nerves/are much less frequent. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), intracranial and intraspinal schwannomas are classified as Grade I. Some VS are found incidentally, but most present with hearing loss (95%), tinnitus (63%), disequilibrium (61%), or headache (32%). The neurological symptoms of VSs are mainly due to compression on the surrounding structures, such as the cranial nerves and vessels, or the brainstem. The gold standard for the imaging diagnosis of VS is MRI scan. The optimal management of VSs remains controversial. There are three main management options-conservative treatment or "watch-and-wait" policy, surgical treatment, and radiotherapy in all its variations. Currently, surgery of VS is not merely a life-saving procedure. The functional outcome of surgery and the quality of life become issues of major importance. The most appropriate surgical approach for each patient should be considered according to some criteria including indications, risk-benefit ratio, and prognosis of each patient. The approaches to the CPA and VS removal are generally divided in posterior and lateral. The retrosigmoid suboccipital approach is a safe and simple approach, and it is favored for VS surgery in most neurosurgical centers. Radiosurgery is becoming more and more available nowadays and is established as one of the main treatment modalities in VS management. Radiosurgery (SRS) is performed with either Gamma knife, Cyber knife, or linear accelerator. Larger tumors are being increasingly frequently managed with combined surgery and radiosurgery. The main goal of VS management is preservation of neurological function - facial nerve function, hearing, etc. The reported recurrence rate after microsurgical tumor removal is 0.5-5%. Postoperative follow-up imaging is essential to diagnose any recurrence.
Topics: Humans; Neuroma, Acoustic; Quality of Life; Neurilemmoma; Brain; Radiosurgery; Spinal Cord; Treatment Outcome; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 37452944
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-23705-8_12 -
Current Medical Science Aug 2021Vestibular schwannomas (VS) are benign tumors of the vestibular nerve. The common first symptoms are hearing loss and tinnitus, followed by imbalance, vertigo, and... (Review)
Review
Vestibular schwannomas (VS) are benign tumors of the vestibular nerve. The common first symptoms are hearing loss and tinnitus, followed by imbalance, vertigo, and facial nerve involvement. The subjective symptoms of VS patients are not consistent with the severity of vestibular lesions and the results of vestibular tests, which often interfere with clinicians' diagnoses. Thus, the main screening and diagnostic methods for VS are audiometry and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ignoring the evaluation of vestibular function at the source of pathological lesions. With the development and improvement of vestibular evaluation technology and its wide application in the clinic, modern vestibular examination technology can reflect the severity and frequency of vestibular lesions and compensation from multiple perspectives, providing an objective basis for the diagnosis and treatment of vestibular diseases. In this report, we review the results and characteristics of vestibular tests in VS patients and further clarify the clinical value of vestibular function assessment in the diagnosis and treatment of VS.
Topics: Audiometry; Facial Nerve; Female; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Neuroma, Acoustic; Tinnitus; Vertigo; Vestibule, Labyrinth
PubMed: 34403089
DOI: 10.1007/s11596-021-2407-1 -
Journal of Clinical Neuroscience :... Jan 2022The most common symptoms of tumours involving the cerebellopontine angle (CPA) are unilateral sensorineural hearing loss, dizziness, and asymmetric tinnitus. While the...
The most common symptoms of tumours involving the cerebellopontine angle (CPA) are unilateral sensorineural hearing loss, dizziness, and asymmetric tinnitus. While the clinical manifestations have been well documented in previous studies, the nystagmus findings in these patients have not been thoroughly investigated yet. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of direction-changing spontaneous nystagmus in patients with CPA tumours, evaluate their radiologic characteristics, and gain insight into the mechanisms underlying nystagmus. Direction-changing spontaneous nystagmus was observed in 6 out of 83 patients (7%) with CPA tumours during the 7-year period. Temporal bone magnetic resonance imaging findings revealed the presence of an intrameatal mass in CPA tumours in all six patients with direction-changing spontaneous nystagmus. Vestibular schwannomas were confined within the internal auditory meatus in four patients, and petroclival meningiomas extended into the internal auditory meatus in two patients. The mechanism of direction-changing spontaneous nystagmus may be explained as paroxysmal secondary central hyperactivity in the vestibular nucleus due to the long-standing pressure effect in the vestibular nerve by tumours, or by ephaptic discharges in the vestibular nerve.
Topics: Cerebellopontine Angle; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Meningeal Neoplasms; Meningioma; Neuroma, Acoustic; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 34929634
DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2021.12.002 -
Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences Oct 2021The study aims to evaluate the usage of gold weight implants and monitor complaints and comfort of patients.
BACKGROUND
The study aims to evaluate the usage of gold weight implants and monitor complaints and comfort of patients.
METHODS
A hundred and ninety-one implantations performed between January 2009 and January 2019 were analyzed. Seventy-eight patients included in this study The average age of the patients was 51.3 ± 14.5 years. Forty-five (57.7%) of them were male and 33 (42.3%) female. Patient satisfaction was measured with a questionnaire containing the most common complaints related to gold weight in the literature through telephone surveys.
RESULTS
The average follow-up time was 74.5 months. Ninety-three-point-five percent of subjects had operational causes, among which the most widespread was acoustic neuroma (44.9%). The average time between facial paralysis and implantation was 141.1 days. Implantation was performed 26.6 days on average after acoustic neuroma surgery and 3.2 days on average after temporal zone malignancy surgery. Thirty-eight patients had their implants removed over either complication (n = 14) or recovery (n = 24). Recovery was the fastest after facial nerve decompression (mean= 4.75 ± 3.6 (2-10) months) and the slowest after 7-12 cranial nerve transfer (mean= 18.3 ± 8.2 (3-31) months). Twenty-six-point-nine percent (n = 21) of patients had complications, of which the most common was extrusion (n = 10). The overall satisfaction rate was 88.5% with the highest in visual acuity and the lowest in continuous requirement for artificial tear.
DISCUSSION
The gold weight implantation is an effective, reversible, and easy procedure significantly reducing complaints regarding paralytic lagophthalmos. Early implementation may be beneficial for ocular complications. A dynamic facial reanimation could terminate need of implant.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Adult; Middle Aged; Aged; Neuroma, Acoustic; Prostheses and Implants; Facial Paralysis; Eye; Gold
PubMed: 34174800
DOI: 10.3906/sag-2104-50 -
Otology & Neurotology : Official... Jun 2021Management of vestibular schwannomas (VS) involves surgery, radiotherapy, or surveillance, based on patient and tumor factors. We recently described conditional...
OBJECTIVE
Management of vestibular schwannomas (VS) involves surgery, radiotherapy, or surveillance, based on patient and tumor factors. We recently described conditional probability as a more accurate method for stratifying VS growth risk. Building on this, we now describe determinants of VS growth, allowing clinicians to move toward a more personalized approach to growth-risk profiling.
METHODS
Retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database in a tertiary referral skull base unit between 2005 and 2014. Inclusion of patients with unilateral VS managed on surveillance protocol for a minimum of 5 years. Analysis of patient age, sex, tumor location, tumor size, and symptomology using conditional probability.
RESULTS
A total of 340 patients met inclusion criteria. The conditional probability of growth of extracanalicular VS was significantly higher versus intracanalicular (IC) VS (30% versus 13%, p < 0.001) as was small-sized VS versus IC VS (28 versus 13%, p = 0.002), but only in the first year after diagnosis. Sex, age, and presenting symptoms did not significantly affect VS growth.
CONCLUSION
In our series, extracanalicular VS were more likely to grow than IC VS and small-sized VS more likely to grow than IC VS, but only in the first year after diagnosis. Conversely, sex, age, and presenting symptoms did not affect the conditional probability of VS growth.
Topics: Humans; Neuroma, Acoustic; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 33273313
DOI: 10.1097/MAO.0000000000003043 -
Neurology India 2022The Penn Acoustic Neuroma Quality-of-life Scale (PANQOL) was specifically developed for assessing the quality of life (QOL) in patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS)....
BACKGROUND
The Penn Acoustic Neuroma Quality-of-life Scale (PANQOL) was specifically developed for assessing the quality of life (QOL) in patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS). Its utility has been established in many populations, but it has not been validated for use in India.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to translate PANQOL into Hindi and validate it for use in India.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
PANQOL was translated into Hindi by using the standardized procedure. Its conceptual equivalence was established by administering. For validation, PANQOL-Hindi and SF-36 were administered to 78 patients aged above 18 years and recently diagnosed to have VS. Test-retest reliability was established by readministering PANQOL-Hindi on 15 patients after 2 weeks.
RESULTS
Internal consistency was good for the composite scale (α = 0.87). The Cronbach's alpha for all domains except facial dysfunction was in an acceptable range. Intercorrelations between various domains showed that anxiety and energy were strongly correlated. All domains except pain had a strong correlation with the total PANQOL score. The intraclass correlation coefficient test indicated high test-retest reliability for the composite scale (ICC = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.93-0.99). Test-retest reliability for various domains was also good. The construct validity of PANQOL was assessed by correlating its specific domains with SF-36 domains. The meaningful correlations between domains of PANQOL and SF-36 indicated good construct validity.
CONCLUSIONS
PANQOL-Hindi has been adequately translated and has satisfactory psychometric properties.
Topics: Aged; Humans; Neuroma, Acoustic; Psychometrics; Quality of Life; Reproducibility of Results; Surveys and Questionnaires; Translations
PubMed: 35864623
DOI: 10.4103/0028-3886.349585 -
The Journal of Laryngology and Otology Sep 2023To assess whether pre-habilitation with intratympanic gentamicin can accelerate vestibular compensation following vestibular schwannoma resection. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether pre-habilitation with intratympanic gentamicin can accelerate vestibular compensation following vestibular schwannoma resection.
METHODS
Seventeen studies were retrieved from the databases Medline, PubMed, Frontiers, Cochrane Library, Cambridge Core and ScienceDirect. Eight of the 17 studies met our criteria; the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were used. Heterogeneity, risk of bias and effect on post-operative recovery were assessed.
RESULTS
Four of the eight studies showed a statistically positive effect of pre-habilitation with gentamicin on the post-operative recovery process; the remainder also reported benefits, although not statistically significant. No study reported negative effects. Limitations were linked mostly to the limited number of enrolled patients and the outcome assessment methods.
CONCLUSION
Fifty per cent of the studies found a statistically positive effect of pre-habilitation with gentamicin prior to vestibular schwannoma resection. While the results are promising, due to the limited numbers further prospective studies are required to strengthen the evidence.
Topics: Humans; Gentamicins; Neuroma, Acoustic; Vestibule, Labyrinth; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Prospective Studies
PubMed: 37185086
DOI: 10.1017/S0022215123000725