Acoustic neuroma is a slow growing, non-cancerous head tumor that develops next to the brain and attaches to the eighth cranial nerve that goes between the brain and the ear. For some with acoustic neuroma, the tumor never causes problems and, for the most part, even the symptoms it does cause tend to be lessened by the fact that the tumor is non-cancerous and is thus unable to mutate cells and tissue.
Causes of Acoustic Neuroma
According to the Mayo Clinic, there is no known cause for acoustic neuroma.
Risk Factors
Acoustic neuroma is sometimes linked to a genetic disorder called neurofibromatosis 2. Neurofibromatosis 2 causes tumors to latch onto the vestibulocochlear nerve in the ear, the same nerve that acoustic neuroma attaches itself to. People get neurofibromatosis 2 in one of two ways: as an inherited condition passed down from a parent or from a mutation in the genes that allows the disorder to take control.
Symptoms
While acoustic neuroma is non-cancerous, it is not without symptoms, and, occasionally, these can be fairly severe. Generally, the symptoms are due to the tumor putting pressure on nerves in the cranium. The size and location of the tumor are strongly correlated to the severity of the symptoms. Some of the ways that acoustic neuroma manifests itself is through hearing loss and ringing in the ear. Because the tumors commonly attach themselves to the vestibulocochlear nerve (the nerve that controls balance), dizziness and a loss of balance may occur.
Diagnosis
Acoustic neuroma can come on so slowly that you may have a tumor for your entire life and never know it. Because of this, tumors are often found when doctors are checking other things. There are some tests that can be run that may help the doctor make an initial determination. These include hearing tests, an MRI, electronystagmography, which evaluates balance function, and a brain stem auditory evoked response test, which measures hearing and neurological response.
Treatments
Because acoustic neuroma tumors grow slowly, treatment may never be required. But if symptoms do get out of hand or the tumor becomes a problem, there are two methods for treating it. Stereotactic radiosurgery involves the use of targeted radiation that is meant to stop the tumor's growth and can also be used to clean up residual tumors. Radiosurgery can take months and even years to have a visible impact on the tumor. The other option is surgery. The surgeon will remove the tumor through an incision in the scalp. This can be tricky because they have to be cautious of the nerves in the area. Surgery generally requires a four- to six-day hospital stay.
