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| Observation of Acoustic Neuromas | |
| Acoustic neuromas are occasionally discovered incidentally, in the course of evaluating another problem, or when the tumor is very small and there are few symptoms. Since acoustic neuromas are benign tumors and produce symptoms by pressure on surrounding structures, careful observation over a period of time may be appropriate for some patients. When a small tumor is discovered in an older patient, observation to study the growth rate of the tumor may be indicated if acute symptoms are not present. If it appears that the tumor will not need to be treated during the patient’s normal life expectancy, treatment and its potential complications may be avoided. In this case, MRIs are performed periodically, and if the tumor does not show growth, observation is continued. On the other hand, if the tumor shows increase in size, treatment may become necessary. Another group of patients for whom observation is indicated includes patients with a tumor in their only or better hearing ear, particularly when the tumor is of a size that hearing preservation with removal would be unlikely. In this group of patients, MRI is used to follow the growth pattern and treatment is recommended if either the hearing is lost or the tumor size becomes life threatening. | |