Postoperative brainstem infarction is a rare and potentially devastating complication of vestibular schwannoma resection. While symptomatic arterial narrowing is recognized in other contexts, its role in posterior fossa tumor surgery remains poorly defined. We report a case of severe brainstem infarction and analyze the diagnostic challenges in instances where definitive vascular injury could not be confirmed....
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
No change to routine clinical practice for audiologists; surgeons performing vestibular schwannoma resection should be aware of this rare but devastating vascular complication, though case-level evidence cannot quantify risk.
Brainstem infarction is among the most severe potential complications of vestibular schwannoma surgery and this report, combined with a literature review, adds to the sparse evidence base guiding surgical risk counselling.
- 01Severe early postoperative brainstem infarction is a rare but potentially catastrophic complication of vestibular schwannoma resection.
- 02The case is paired with a literature review to contextualise incidence and outcomes.
- 03Vascular injury during CPA surgery is the presumed mechanism.
- 04Findings are relevant to pre-surgical counselling regarding neurological risks.
- 05Published in Surgical Neurology International (SNI); PMID 42974569.
Severe early postoperative brainstem infarction is a rare complication following vestibular schwannoma resection.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42974569
- DOI
- 10.25259/SNI_168_2026.
- Journal
- Surgical Neurology International
- Publication type
- case_report
- Evidence level
- 4
- Sample size
- 1
- Population
- Single patient who developed brainstem infarction after vestibular schwannoma resection, supplemented by literature review cases
- Intervention
- Vestibular schwannoma surgical resection
Primary outcomes
Characterisation of brainstem infarction onset, severity, and clinical course post-resection