Radiosurgery of acoustic schwannomas

Abstract

Acoustic schwannomas are benign tumors of the 8 cranial nerve sheath that can affect function of the fifth, seventh, and eighth cranial nerves as well as compress the brainstem. Careful detailed assessment with long observations times is needed with these slow-growing tumors to detect recurrence/progression or complications whenever observation, surgery, or radiation treatment is used for management. Management choices for these tumors have evolved and been refined considerably since the introduction of radiosurgery. This chapter reviews the use of radiosurgery in the management of acoustic schwannomas and covers background information necessary for understanding the optimal management of patients with these tumors.​