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Acoustic neuroma is a slow-growing benign tumor of the nerve that leads from the ear to the brain. Symptoms include hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo, and headaches. It can be diagnosed through physical tests and imaging scans. Surgery is used to remove the tumor if it becomes large enough to affect a patient’s quality of life or endanger structures in the skull.
An acoustic neuroma is a benign tumor of the nerve that leads from the ear to the brain. Although the tumor is not cancerous and does not spread to other structures, it can cause severe symptoms and can grow large enough to affect important structures in the brain. Acoustic neuromas are usually found near the base of the brain and are one of the most common brain tumors, although in general they are rare.
The cause of acoustic neuroma is unknown, although the tumor is often linked to the genetic disorder neurofibromatosis type 2. All cases of acoustic neuroma are thought to have a genetic basis. The tumor is very slow growing and as a result symptoms usually do not appear until the patient’s 30s.
Acoustic neuroma symptoms vary, but commonly include hearing loss; tinnitus, a feeling of ringing in the ear; and vertigo, the sensation of movement when the body is still. Other symptoms may include dizziness and loss of balance in addition to lightheadedness, numbness or pain in the face or ear, weakness of the facial muscles, problems understanding speech, temporary vision problems, fatigue and headaches. Headache as a symptom of acoustic neuroma often occurs early in the morning and can wake the patient up. It can also be accompanied by nausea or vomiting and is often worse when the patient is in certain positions, such as sitting or lying down. Sneezing, coughing, or otherwise straining can also make a headache worse.
Acoustic neuroma is diagnosed through physical tests including tests for hearing, dizziness, and balance. The most useful test is often a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scan of the head. If the tumor is small and not accompanied by severe symptoms, the patient can simply be observed. Because the tumor is slow growing, it may never be a problem in the patient’s lifetime.
If an acoustic neuroma becomes large enough to negatively affect a patient’s quality of life or to endanger structures in the skull, surgery is typically used to remove the tumor. In some cases, brain surgery may be needed to save the patient’s life if the tumor presses on important brain structures. Acoustic neuromas can be treated with traditional surgery or radiosurgery. Radiosurgery can only be used on relatively small tumors and is intended to stop the growth of the tumor rather than remove it. The patient can suffer permanent hearing or nerve damage after both types of surgery, so they are only used as a last resort.
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