Vol.100 No.10 contentsPRACTICA OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGICA
Vol. 100 No. 10 October 2007
Conservative Management of Patients with Acoustic Neuroma
Taketoshi Nogaki, Nobusuke Houchi, Tomoko Sugiuchi,
Naohiko Watanabe and Hiroyuki Zusho
(Kanto Rosai Hospital)
Ayako Furuya
(Showa University Fujigaoka Hospital)
We studied 10 patients with acoustic neuroma who had been followed conservatively for more than 3 years. There were 3 males and 7 females, ranging from 32 to 82 years old (mean age 62.8 years). The first medical examination demonstrated inner ear tumor, with a diameter less than 10 mm in all cases. The tumor diameter increased in 2 cases, diminished in 1 case and remained unchanged in 7 other cases. Chief complaints were hearing difficulty and tinnitus in 8 cases and dizziness in 2 cases. As for the hearing level on the affected side, 2 cases showed severe deafness, 2 cases showed moderate deafness and 6 other cases had mild deafness. Changes in the hearing level by more than 10 dB occurred in 4 cases.
Considering the findings of the present study and those reported in the literature, it was thought that decisions regarding treatment policy including conservative management are necessary.
Key words : acoustic neuroma, conservative treatment, wait and scan