What Is Acoustic Neuroma?

What Is Acoustic Neuroma (Surgery, Symptoms, And Treatment)

What is acoustic neuroma? Acoustic neuroma, also known as vestibular schwannoma or Neurilemmoma, is a non-cancerous tumor and usually grows in slow growth in the main nerve (vestibular) that leads from the inner ear to the brain. Part is involved in transmitting the voice; Others help to transmit balance information from the inner ear to the brain. Just neuroma acoustic is a benign growth that develops on the cranial nerve eight. These nerve branches directly affect the balance and hearing, and the pressure of an acoustic neuroma can cause hearing loss, ear noises and unstable.

Acoustic neuroma usually occurs from Schwann cells that cover this nerve and is growing slowly or not at all. Rarely, it can grow rapidly and become large enough to suppress the brain and interfere with vital functions. Treatment for acoustic neuromas includes periodic monitoring, radiation, and surgical removal.

The vestibular schwannoma or neurinoma usually increases slowly over several years. Even if they don't really attack the brain, they can push it while they grow up. Larger tumors can press on nearby cranial nerves, which control the muscles of facial expression and sensation. If the tumor becomes large enough to suppress the brainstem or cerebellum, they can be deadly.

Acoustic Neuroma Symptoms Come and Go!

What is acoustic neuroma - The signs and symptoms of acoustic neuroma are often subtle and may take years to develop. They usually occur from the effects of tumors on hearing and nervous balance. The pressure from the tumor on the adiacenți nerves controls the muscles and facial sensations (facial nerves and trigeminal), close blood vessels or brain structures may also cause problems.

The initial symptoms of an acoustic neuroma are often subtle. Many people associate these symptoms with normal changes in aging, so maybe a little while before the condition is diagnosed. The first symptom is usually a gradual loss of hearing to an ear, often accompanied by the dial in the ear (tinnitus) or a sense of fullness in the ear. Less frequently, an acoustic neuroma can cause sudden hearing loss.

When the tumor grows, it may generate more real or more severe signs and symptoms. The frequent signs and symptoms of the acoustic neuroma include:
  • Hearing loss, usually gradually, although in some cases it is sudden and appears only on one side or more, felt on one side
  • Change of taste or difficulty swallowing and hoarseness
  • The sound (tinnitus) in the affected ear and the balance or loss
  • Dizziness (vertigo), numbness of the face and very rare, weakness or loss of muscle movement
  • In rare cases, an acoustic neuroma can grow large enough to suppress the brain stem and become life-threatening.

When to visit a doctor? Consult your doctor if you experience hearing loss from an ear, ear lips or balance problems. The early diagnosis of acoustic neuroma can help keep the tumor large enough to cause serious consequences, such as total hearing loss or the accumulation of fluids that threaten life in the skull.

What Causes Acoustic Neuroma?

What is acoustic neuroma - The cause of an acoustic neuroma looks like the gene function on chromosome 22. Normally, this gene produces a tumor suppressive protein that helps control the growth of Schwann cells that cover the nerves. What makes this failure of the unclear gene and in many cases of acoustic neuroma there are no identifiable causes. These genes are also wrongly inherited neurofibromatosis type 2, a rare condition that usually involves the growth of tumors in the nervous balance on both sides of the head.

Neurofibromatosis Type 2 is a major risk factor for acoustic neuroma. The risk factor confirmed only for acoustic Neuroma has a parent with a rare genetic disorder of type 2 neurofibromatosis. However, the type 2 neurofibromatosis represented only about 5 percent of the cases of acoustic neuroma. The feature of Neurofibromatosis type 2 is the development of a non-cancerous tumor on the nerve of the balance on both sides of the head, as well as on other nerves. Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is known as the dominant autosomal disorder, which means that the mutation can only be transmitted by a single parent (the dominant gene). Every child from affected parents has a chance of 50-50 inheritance.

What's the most dangerous thing about acoustic neuroma? Complications are the most remote of all diseases. However, an acoustic neuroma can cause various permanent complications, including: cerebrospinal fluid infection (meningitis), stroke or hemorrhage, hearing loss, facial numbness sensation and weakness ( Facial weakness), difficulty in balance (balance problems), headaches are persistent, leaking cerebrospinal fluid through the wound and ringing to the ear.

Large tumors can compress your brain, preventing the normal flow of fluid between the brain and spinal cord (cerebrospinal fluid). In this case, the fluid can accumulate in the head (hydrocephalus), increasing the pressure inside the skull.

Acoustic Neuroma Diagnosis Treatment

What is acoustic neuroma - The initial diagnosis of acoustic neuroma is based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and auditory tests. An audiogram (auditory test) is performed first. People who have lost hearing in one ear must then perform imaging tests, such as MRI. Other hearing tests may be performed, including Tympanometry (a test to determine whether the sound can pass through the eardrum and the middle ear), and auditory assessments evoke the potential of the brain stem (nerve impulses of the brain dimensions From the sound signals in the ear).

Acoustic Neuroamuriles are often difficult to diagnose at an early stage because signs and symptoms can be smooth and can develop gradually over time. Frequent symptoms, such as hearing loss, are also linked to many middle ears and other inner ear problems. After asking questions about your symptoms, your doctor will perform an ear check. Your doctor may perform the following tests:
  • Hearing Tests (audiometry). In this test, which is performed by an audit specialist (audiologist), you will hear a sound directed at one ear at a time. Audiologist presents different sounds with different tones and asks you to show each time you hear a sound. Each note is repeated at a discolored level to know when you can barely hear it. Audiology can also present various words to determine your hearing capability.
  • Imaging. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the preferred imaging test to confirm the presence of an acoustic neuroma and can detect tumors with a diameter of 1 to 2 millimeters. If the MRI is unavailable or you cannot tolerate MRI scanning, computerized tomography (CT) may be used but may be a very small tumor loss.

Acoustic Neuroma Treatment Options

What is acoustic neuroma - The treatment of acoustic neuroma may vary depending on the size and growth of the acoustic neuroma, the general health condition, and your symptoms. To treat acoustic neuroma, your doctor may suggest one or more of the three potential methods of treatment: monitoring, surgery or radiotherapy.

1. Monitoring. If you have a small acoustic neuroma, which does not grow or grow slowly and may cause few or signs or symptoms, you and your doctor may decide to monitor, especially if you are an adult who is older candidates or is not good for more treatment Aggressive.

Your doctor may advise you to perform regular imaging and hearing tests, usually every six to 12 months, to determine whether the tumor is growing and how fast. If the scan shows that a tumor is growing or if the tumor causes progressive symptoms or other difficulties, you may have to take treatment.

2. Operation. You may need surgery to get rid of acoustic neuroma. Your surgeon. Can use one of several techniques to eliminate acoustic neuroma, depending on tumor size, hearing status and other factors.

The purpose of surgery is to remove the tumor, retain the facial nerve to prevent face paralysis and maintain hearing if possible. Surgery for acoustic neuromas is performed under general anesthesia and involves removing the tumor through the inner ear or through a window in the skull.

All tumors cannot be eliminated completely in certain cases. For example, if the tumor is too close to an important part of the brain or facial nerve. Sometimes surgical removal of the tumor can aggravate the symptoms if the loss, facial or damaged hearing during the operation.

3. Radiation Treatment For Acoustic Neuroma

a). Radiosurgery stereotactic. Your doctor may recommend the types of radiotherapy known as Radiosurgery stereotactic if you have an acoustic neuroma, especially if you are a small tumor (less than 3 cm in diameter), you are an older adult or cannot tolerate Surgery for health reasons.

Radiosurgery stereotactic, such as Gamma Knife radiosurgery, gamma rays using a lot of small to provide doses of radiation directed towards the tumor, without damaging the surrounding tissue or making an incision. By using image scanning, your doctor presents a tumor and then plans where to steer the radiation beam. The doctor attaches a lightened head frame to the scalp, which was numb to keep your head fixed during the procedure.

The purpose of Radiochirurgiei Stereotactic is to stop tumor growth, to maintain facial nerve function and possibly to maintain hearing. It can take weeks, months or years before the effects of Radiochirurgiei become clear. Your doctor will monitor your progress with advanced imaging studies and hearing tests. Radiochirurgia risk, including hearing loss, ear noises, facial weakness, numbness of the face, balance problems and treatment (increased tumor continued).

b). Stereotactic radiation therapy. fractionation Radiotherapy Stereotactic (SRT) offers a small dose of radiation to the tumor during several sessions in an attempt to reduce tumor growth without damaging the surrounding brain tissue.

c). Proton beam treatment. This type of radiotherapy uses a high-energy beam of positively charged particles called protons were sent to the affected area in a dose for treating targeted tumors while minimizing radiation exposure to the surrounding area.

4. Supportive therapy. In addition to treatment to eliminate or stop tumor growth, the doctor may recommend supportive therapy for treating symptoms or neuroma complications and acoustic maintenance, such as balance or dizziness problems. Cochlear implants or other treatments may also be recommended to treat hearing loss. Care support, including balanced therapy (vestibular), physical therapy, occupational therapy and hearing aid, is part of comprehensive acoustic neuromă care.