Acoustic Neuroma (Vestibular Schwannoma) Manchester

An acoustic neuroma (also called a vestibular schwannoma – these two terms are used interchangeably) is a type of benign tumour that slowly grows on the nerve that controls a person’s balance and hearing. The term benign means it is non-cancerous, slow-growing and not at risk of spreading elsewhere in the body.

It does not arise from the brain itself, but rather in a small recess in the base of the skull called the inner ear canal. It can then gradually expand into the brain cavity but this can take many years.

An acoustic neuroma is a rare tumour with an incidence of around 1 in 30,000 people per year. 

Acoustic Neuromas are almost always a chance event. A tiny minority can occur due to a gene fault but this typically will be in people diagnosed in their teenage years. 

Considering that this is a growth on the hearing and balance nerve, symptoms that predominate relate to impaired function of this nerve:

• Hearing loss (in one ear)
• Altered balance/tending to veer to one side
• Dizziness
• Ringing in the ear (tinnitus)

More unusual symptoms can occur if the growth becomes larger before it is diagnosed and can include altered facial sensation or facial pain (trigeminal neuralgia), aching behind the ear or facial twitching or weakness.

Patients often visit an ENT (ear, nose and throat) specialist with hearing or balance symptoms. If a hearing test confirms reduced hearing in one ear, an MR scan will be requested to look for an acoustic neuroma.

This is a very accurate and reliable way of making the diagnosis.

Depending on your individual situation, the following treatment options will be discussed:

• Watch and rescan. This is often the safest and best treatment if the tumour is small and non-threatening. It also takes advantage of the fact that 2/3 of these tumours will stop growing.

• Stereotactic radiosurgery. This is a highly targeted form of radiotherapy which stops the tumour from growing. It is typically used once growth has been confirmed on follow-up scans.
  
  
• Surgery. It is a minority of acoustic neuromas that require surgery, but under certain circumstances this can be the preferred option. This includes tumours diagnosed at a younger age, larger tumours and more rapidly growing tumours.