Hearing change and tumor growth in patients with acoustic neuroma managed conservatively

Abstract

　The natural history of vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma, AN) has been reported in a number of published studies. However, there are few reports about long-term conservative management of AN. We conducted a retrospective chart review of the hearing changes and tumor growth in patients with AN who were managed conservatively for more than 5 years at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Mitsui Memorial Hospital, from 1996 through 2015. Sixteen patients were included in this study, and the average follow-up period was 9.9 years, ranging from 5.0 to 19.5 years. Of the 16 patients, 1 presented with total deafness at his first visit. Among the remaining 15, 12 patients (80.0%) presented with progressive hearing loss, 2 patients (13.3%) had fluctuating hearing function, and in 3 patients (20.0%), the hearing function was retained. In regard to the hearing preservation rate, hearing preservation surgery needs to be considered as one of the treatments for small tumors in patients with serviceable hearing. Patients should be informed about the long-term natural course of AN, because some may choose conservative management, based on personal preference, situation, and background.