Acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma)
Overview
An acoustic neuroma is a type of non-cancerous (benign) brain tumour. It's also known as a vestibular schwannoma.
Symptoms
An acoustic neuroma may not cause any obvious symptoms at first. Any symptoms tend to develop gradually and often include: hearing lossthat usually only affects 1 earhearing sounds that come from inside the body (tinnitus)the sensation that you're moving or spinning (vertigo) A large acoustic neuroma can also sometimes cause: persistentheadachestemporary blurred ordouble visionnumbness, pain or weakness on 1 side of the faceproblems with limb co-ordination (ataxia) on 1 side of the bodyvoice changes ordifficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
Treatment
There are several different treatment options for an acoustic neuroma, depending on the size and position of your tumour, how fast it's growing and your general health. The main options are: monitoring the tumour – small tumours often just need to be monitored with regular MRI scans, and treatment is generally only recommended if scans show it's getting biggerbrain surgery – surgery to remove all or some of the tumour through a cut in the skull may be carried out undergeneral anaestheticif it's large or getting biggerstereotactic radiosurgery – small tumours, or any pieces of a larger tumour that remain after surgery, may be treated with a precise beam of radiation to stop them getting any bigger All these options carry some risks. For example, surgery and radiosurgery can sometimes cause facial numbness or an inability to move part of your face (paralysis). Speak to your specialist about the best option for you and what the benefits and risks are.