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Journal of Korean Medical Science Oct 2023Since the long-term outcomes of 162 patients who underwent gamma knife radiosurgery (GKS) as an initial or adjuvant treatment for acoustic neuromas (ANs) with unilateral...
BACKGROUND
Since the long-term outcomes of 162 patients who underwent gamma knife radiosurgery (GKS) as an initial or adjuvant treatment for acoustic neuromas (ANs) with unilateral hearing loss were first reported in 1998, there has been no report of a comprehensive analysis of what has changed in GKS practice.
METHODS
We performed a retrospective study of the long-term outcomes of 106 patients with unilateral sporadic ANs who underwent GKS as an initial treatment. The mean patient age was 50 years, and the mean initial tumor volume was 3.68 cm (range, 0.10-23.30 cm). The median marginal tumor dose was 12.5 Gy (range, 8.0-15.0 Gy) and the median follow-up duration was 153 months (range, 120-216 months).
RESULTS
The tumor volume increased in 11 patients (10.4%), remained stationary in 27 (25.5%), and decreased in 68 patients (64.2%). The actuarial 3, 5, 10, and 15-year tumor control rates were 95.3 ± 2.1%, 94.3 ± 2.2%, 87.7 ± 3.2%, and 86.6 ± 3.3%, respectively. The 10-year actuarial tumor control rate was significantly lower in the patients with tumor volumes of ≥ 8 cm ( = 0.010). The rate of maintaining the same Gardner-Robertson scale grade was 28.6%, and that of serviceable hearing was 46.4%. The rates of newly developed facial and trigeminal neuropathy were 2.8% and 4.7%, respectively. The patients who received marginal doses of less than 12 Gy revealed higher tumor control failure rates ( = 0.129) and newly occurred facial or trigeminal neuropathy rates ( = 0.040 and 0.313, respectively).
CONCLUSION
GKS as an initial treatment for ANs could be helpful in terms of tumor control, the preservation of serviceable hearing, and the prevention of cranial neuropathy. It is recommended to perform GKS as soon as possible not only for tumor control in unilateral ANs with hearing loss but also for hearing preservation in those without hearing loss.
Topics: Humans; Middle Aged; Neuroma, Acoustic; Radiosurgery; Retrospective Studies; Follow-Up Studies; Hearing Loss; Trigeminal Nerve Diseases; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 37846791
DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2023.38.e332 -
Journal of Neuro-oncology Oct 2023To perform a systematic review of literature specific to single-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for large vestibular schwannomas (VS), maximum... (Review)
Review
Single-fraction radiosurgery outcomes for large vestibular schwannomas in the upfront or post-surgical setting: a systematic review and International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society (ISRS) Practice Guidelines.
PURPOSE
To perform a systematic review of literature specific to single-fraction stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for large vestibular schwannomas (VS), maximum diameter ≥ 2.5 cm and/or classified as Koos Grade IV, and to present consensus recommendations on behalf of the International Stereotactic Radiosurgery Society (ISRS).
METHODS
The Medline and Embase databases were used to apply the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach. We considered eligible prospective and retrospective studies, written in the English language, reporting treatment outcomes for large VS; SRS for large post-operative tumors were analyzed in aggregate and separately.
RESULTS
19 of the 229 studies initially identified met the final inclusion criteria. Overall crude rate of tumor control was 89% (93.7% with no prior surgery vs 87.7% with prior surgery). Rates of salvage microsurgical resection, need for shunt, and additional SRS in all series versus those with no prior surgery were 9.6% vs 3.3%, 4.7% vs 6.4% and 1% vs 0.9%, respectively. Rates of facial palsy and hearing preservation in all series versus those with no prior surgery were 1.3% vs 3.4% and 34.2% vs 40.4%, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
Upfront SRS resulted in high rates of tumor control with acceptable rates of facial palsy and hearing preservation as compared to the results in those series including patients with prior surgery (level C evidence). Therefore, although large VS are considered classic indication for microsurgical resection, upfront SRS can be considered in selected patients and we recommend a prescribed marginal dose from 11 to 13 Gy (level C evidence).
Topics: Humans; Radiosurgery; Retrospective Studies; Neuroma, Acoustic; Prospective Studies; Facial Paralysis; Treatment Outcome; Follow-Up Studies
PubMed: 37843727
DOI: 10.1007/s11060-023-04455-8 -
Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology 2023To review the literature on the diagnosis and treatment of vestibular schwannoma. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
To review the literature on the diagnosis and treatment of vestibular schwannoma.
METHODS
Task force members were educated on knowledge synthesis methods, including electronic database search, review and selection of relevant citations, and critical appraisal of selected studies. Articles written in English or Portuguese on vestibular schwannoma were eligible for inclusion. The American College of Physicians' guideline grading system and the American Thyroid Association's guideline criteria were used for critical appraisal of evidence and recommendations for therapeutic interventions.
RESULTS
The topics were divided into 2 parts: (1) Diagnosis - audiologic, electrophysiologic tests, and imaging; (2) Treatment - wait and scan protocols, surgery, radiosurgery/radiotherapy, and systemic therapy.
CONCLUSIONS
Decision making in VS treatment has become more challenging. MRI can diagnose increasingly smaller tumors, which has disastrous consequences for the patients and their families. It is important to develop an individualized approach for each case, which highly depends on the experience of each surgical team.
Topics: Humans; Neuroma, Acoustic; Brazil; Societies, Medical; Advisory Committees; Otolaryngology; Radiosurgery; Magnetic Resonance Imaging
PubMed: 37813009
DOI: 10.1016/j.bjorl.2023.101313 -
Journal of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck... Oct 2023Highly accurate real-time cochlear nerve monitoring to preserve cochlear nerve function is essential for simultaneous cochlear implantation and ipsilateral vestibular...
Highly accurate real-time cochlear nerve monitoring to preserve cochlear nerve function is essential for simultaneous cochlear implantation and ipsilateral vestibular schwannoma resection. In the present study, we developed a novel real-time monitoring system that combines dorsal cochlear nucleus action potential monitoring with intracochlear stimulating electrodes (Auditory Nerve Test System, ANTS). We used this system for a case with vestibular schwannoma resection via the translabyrinthine approach. The monitoring system developed in this study detected highly reliable evoked potentials from the cochlear nerve every two seconds continuously during tumor resection. Near-total tumor resection was achieved, and cochlear implantation was performed successfully after confirming the preservation of cochlear nerve function in a case. The patient's hearing was well compensated by cochlear implantation after surgery. Our novel method continuously achieved real-time monitoring of the cochlear nerve every two seconds during vestibular schwannoma resection. The usefulness of this monitoring system for simultaneous tumor resection and cochlear implantation was demonstrated in the present case. The system developed in this study is compatible with continuous facial nerve monitoring. This highly accurate and novel monitoring method will broaden the number of candidates for this type of surgery in the future.
Topics: Humans; Neuroma, Acoustic; Cochlear Nucleus; Action Potentials; Cochlear Implantation; Cochlear Nerve
PubMed: 37803428
DOI: 10.1186/s40463-023-00671-4 -
The Journal of International Advanced... Oct 2023Surgery for vestibular schwannoma can be divided into hearing-preserving and nonhearing-preserving surgeries. Hearing-preserving surgery is usually not considered in...
Surgery for vestibular schwannoma can be divided into hearing-preserving and nonhearing-preserving surgeries. Hearing-preserving surgery is usually not considered in patients with deafness due to vestibular schwannoma, because hearing is unlikely to improve, and surgery aims to maximize the tumor resection at the expense of hearing. We report an extremely rare case of a 46-year-old man with unilateral profound hearing loss due to a vestibular schwannoma with marked cystic degeneration in the left cistern, which significantly recovered to near-normal hearing levels after hearing-preserving surgery. Hearing loss gradually worsened, and preoperative pure-tone evaluation showed complete hearing loss in the left ear. However, the response to the distortion product otoacoustic emission was preserved, and hearing loss was considered to be retrocochlear. Tumor resection was performed using the retrolabyrinthine approach with continuous monitoring using dorsal cochlear nucleus action potential, auditory brainstem response, and facial nerve function muscle action potential. The cistern portion of the tumor was almost completely resected along with the wall. Postoperatively, the pure-tone threshold on the left side markedly improved. The present case clearly demonstrates the possibility of hearing recovery in patients with retrocochlear hearing loss. We should consider expanding the indications for hearing-preserving surgery.
Topics: Male; Humans; Middle Aged; Neuroma, Acoustic; Hearing; Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous; Deafness; Hearing Loss
PubMed: 37789631
DOI: 10.5152/iao.2023.221035 -
Scientific Reports Sep 2023Head kinematics are altered in individuals with vestibular schwannoma (VS) during short duration gait tasks [i.e., Functional Gait Assessment (FGA)], both before and...
Head kinematics are altered in individuals with vestibular schwannoma (VS) during short duration gait tasks [i.e., Functional Gait Assessment (FGA)], both before and after surgery, yet whether these differences extend to longer duration gait exercises is currently unknown. Here we examined the effects of vestibular loss and subsequent compensation on head kinematics in individuals with VS during gait exercises of relatively extended versus short duration (< 10 versus 30 s), compared to age-matched controls. Six-dimensional head movements were recorded during extended and short duration gait exercises before and then 6 weeks after sectioning of the involved vestibular nerve (vestibular neurectomy). Standard functional, physiological, and subjective clinical assessments were also performed at each time point. Kinematics were differentially altered in individuals with vestibular loss at both time points during extended versus short duration exercises. Range of motion was significantly reduced in extended tasks. In contrast, movement variability predominately differed for the short duration exercises. Overall, our results indicate that quantifying head kinematics during longer duration gait tasks can provide novel information about how VS individuals compensate for vestibular loss, and suggest that measurements of range of motion versus variability can provide information regarding the different strategies deployed to maintain functional locomotion.
Topics: Humans; Head Movements; Biomechanical Phenomena; Exercise Therapy; Gait; Locomotion; Neuroma, Acoustic
PubMed: 37758749
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42441-2 -
Acta Neuropathologica Communications Sep 2023Although recent molecular analyses revealed that sporadic meningiomas have various genetic, epigenetic, and transcriptomic profiles, meningioma in patients with...
Although recent molecular analyses revealed that sporadic meningiomas have various genetic, epigenetic, and transcriptomic profiles, meningioma in patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) have not been fully elucidated. This study investigated meningiomas' clinical, histological, and molecular characteristics in NF2 patients. A long-term retrospective follow-up (13.5 ± 5.5 years) study involving total 159 meningiomas in 37 patients with NF2 was performed. Their characteristics were assessed using immunohistochemistry (IHC), bulk-RNA sequencing, and copy number analysis. All variables of meningiomas in patients with NF2 were compared with those in 189 sporadic NF2-altered meningiomas in 189 patients. Most meningiomas in NF2 patients were stable, and the mean annual growth rate was 1.0 ± 1.8 cm/year. Twenty-eight meningiomas (17.6%) in 25 patients (43.1%) were resected during the follow-up period. WHO grade I meningiomas in patients with NF2 were more frequent than in sporadic NF2-altered meningiomas (92.9% vs. 80.9%). Transcriptomic analysis for patients with NF2/sporadic NF2-altered WHO grade I meningiomas (n = 14 vs. 15, respectively) showed that tumours in NF2 patients still had a higher immune response and immune cell infiltration than sporadic NF2-altered meningiomas. Furthermore, RNA-seq/IHC-derived immunophenotyping corroborated this enhanced immune response by identifying myeloid cell infiltration, particularly in macrophages. Clinical, histological, and transcriptomic analyses of meningiomas in patients with NF2 demonstrated that meningiomas in NF2 patients showed less aggressive behaviour than sporadic NF2-altered meningiomas and elicited a marked immune response by identifying myeloid cell infiltration, particularly of macrophages.
Topics: Humans; Macrophages; Meningeal Neoplasms; Meningioma; Neurofibromatosis 2; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 37752594
DOI: 10.1186/s40478-023-01645-3 -
European Archives of... Jan 2024To review the literature on intratympanic gentamicin treatment as prehabilitation for patients undergoing surgery for a unilateral vestibular schwannoma. (Review)
Review
The effect of intratympanic gentamicin as a prehabilitation strategy for objective and subjective vestibular function in patients undergoing microsurgery for a unilateral vestibular schwannoma.
OBJECTIVE
To review the literature on intratympanic gentamicin treatment as prehabilitation for patients undergoing surgery for a unilateral vestibular schwannoma.
DATA SOURCES
A systematic literature search was conducted up to March 2023 in Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, Academic Search Premier, Google Scholar and Emcare databases.
REVIEW METHODS
Articles on the effect of intratympanic gentamicin followed by vestibular schwannoma surgery were reviewed. Data on objective vestibular function and subjective outcomes were compiled in tables for analysis. Relevance and methodological quality were assessed with the methodological index for non-randomized tool.
RESULTS
A total of 281 articles were identified. After screening and exclusion of duplicates, 13 studies were reviewed for eligibility, of which 4 studies could be included in the review. The posturography test, the subjective visual horizontal test, and the optokinetic nystagmus test showed decreased vestibular function in the group of patients who received intratympanic gentamicin before microsurgery compared to the group of patients without gentamicin. Other objective tests did not show significant differences between patient groups. Subjective vestibular outcomes, as evaluated by questionnaires on quality of life and/or dizziness, did not seem to improve from intratympanic gentamicin pretreatment.
CONCLUSION
Vestibular schwannoma patients who received intratympanic gentamicin before surgical resection of the tumor performed better in the posturography test, subjective visual horizontal test, and the optokinetic nystagmus test afterwards. However, studies that also evaluated subjective outcomes such as dizziness, anxiety, depression, and balance self-confidence did not show a positive effect of intratympanic gentamicin on the vestibular complaints and symptoms.
Topics: Humans; Dizziness; Gentamicins; Microsurgery; Neuroma, Acoustic; Preoperative Exercise; Quality of Life; Vertigo
PubMed: 37750993
DOI: 10.1007/s00405-023-08240-1 -
Cell Death & Disease Sep 2023Hearing loss (HL) is the most common and heterogeneous disorder of the sensory system, with a large morbidity in the worldwide population. Among cells of the acoustic... (Review)
Review
Hearing loss (HL) is the most common and heterogeneous disorder of the sensory system, with a large morbidity in the worldwide population. Among cells of the acoustic nerve (VIII cranial nerve), in the cochlea are present the hair cells, the spiral ganglion neurons, the glia-like supporting cells, and the Schwann cells (SCs), which alterations have been considered cause of HL. Notably, a benign SC-derived tumor of the acoustic nerve, named vestibular schwannoma (VS), has been indicated as cause of HL. Importantly, SCs are the main glial cells ensheathing axons and forming myelin in the peripheral nerves. Following an injury, the SCs reprogram, expressing some stemness features. Despite the mechanisms and factors controlling their biological processes (i.e., proliferation, migration, differentiation, and myelination) have been largely unveiled, their role in VS and HL was poorly investigated. In this review, we enlighten some of the mechanisms at the base of SCs transformation, VS development, and progression, likely leading to HL, and we pose great attention on the environmental factors that, in principle, could contribute to HL onset or progression. Combining the biomolecular bench-side approach to the clinical bedside practice may be helpful for the diagnosis, prediction, and therapeutic approach in otology.
Topics: Humans; Neuroma, Acoustic; Hearing Loss; Deafness; Schwann Cells; Neuroglia
PubMed: 37741837
DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06141-z -
Ear and HearingMeasures of speech-in-noise, such as the QuickSIN, are increasingly common tests of speech perception in audiologic practice. However, the effect of vestibular...
OBJECTIVES
Measures of speech-in-noise, such as the QuickSIN, are increasingly common tests of speech perception in audiologic practice. However, the effect of vestibular schwannoma (VS) on speech-in-noise abilities is unclear. Here, we compare the predictive ability of interaural QuickSIN asymmetry for detecting VS against other measures of audiologic asymmetry.
METHODS
A retrospective review of patients in our institution who received QuickSIN testing in addition to a regular audiologic battery between September 2015 and February 2019 was conducted. Records for patients with radiographically confirmed, unilateral, pretreatment VSs were identified. The remaining records excluding conductive pathologies were used as controls. The predictive abilities of various measures of audiologic asymmetry to detect VS were statistically compared.
RESULTS
Our search yielded 73 unique VS patients and 2423 controls. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that QuickSIN asymmetry was more sensitive and specific than pure-tone average asymmetry and word-recognition-in-quiet asymmetry for detecting VS. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that QuickSIN asymmetry was more predictive of VS (odds ratio [OR] = 1.23, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.10, 1.38], p < 0.001) than pure-tone average asymmetry (OR = 1.04, 95% CI [1.00, 1.07], p = 0.025) and word-recognition-in-quiet asymmetry (OR = 1.03, 95% CI [0.99, 1.06], p = 0.064).
CONCLUSION
Between-ear asymmetries in the QuickSIN appear to be more efficient than traditional measures of audiologic asymmetry for identifying patients with VS. These results suggest that speech-in noise testing could be integrated into clinical practice without hindering the ability to identify retrocochlear pathology.
Topics: Humans; Speech; Neuroma, Acoustic; Noise; Reference Values; Retrospective Studies; Speech Perception
PubMed: 37707393
DOI: 10.1097/AUD.0000000000001397