Acoustic Neuroma (Vestibular Schwannoma)
Vestibular schwannomas are non-cancerous, benign tumors found at the skull base that arise from the nerve of hearing and balance. Vestibular schwannomas are found in about 1 in every 100,000 people in the United States each year. Also known as “acoustic neuromas,” these tumors are usually diagnosed in adults in one ear and are not hereditary. Less commonly, vestibular schwannomas can affect both ears, or be associated with other benign growths in connection with a genetic disease called neurofibromatosis-2.
Cross section of the skull base showing a small vestibular schwannoma on the patient’s right side.
The tumor arises from the hearing and balance nerve. It fills the inner bony ear canal, called the internal auditory canal, where the nerve providing motion to the face also resides.
Cross section of the skull base showing a large vestibular schwannoma on the patient’s right side. The tumor has grown into the cerbellopontine angle, the space between the inner ear canal and the brainstem. The tumor has grown large enough to push on the sensation nerve of the face (trigeminal nerve). It has also grown large enough to push on the brainstem and the cerebellum portion of the brain.
Stanford Brain Tumor Center is a global referral center for the diagnosis and treatment of acoustic neuromas. Treatments for acoustic neuromas include various approaches to surgery, stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), radiation therapy, or a combination of surgery, stereotactic radiosurgery, and radiation therapy. A type of radiation treatment developed here at Stanford, known as CyberKnife, is often used to treat acoustic neuromas.
Your doctor will guide you through the options to help you decide what is best for you. We also offer an active clinical research program dedicated to broadening options for the diagnosis and treatment of acoustic neuromas.
Acoustic Neuroma Support Group
Join us to learn about the latest treatment options, network with other meningioma patients, and find encouragement and support. Family members, caregivers, friends and interested persons are encouraged to attend. No registration necessary.