Vestibular schwannomas are the most common tumor of the cerebellopontine angle, estimated to occur in about 1 per 500 people. They most commonly present with unilateral hearing loss.
Audiologists managing patients with unexplained unilateral hearing loss should ensure vestibular schwannoma is considered and appropriate referral pathways are in place; this review may update surgical team protocols but does not change routine audiology practice directly.
Vestibular schwannoma is a key differential diagnosis for unilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and clear surgical selection criteria have direct downstream implications for audiology referral and post-operative rehabilitation.
- 01Vestibular schwannoma most commonly presents as unilateral hearing loss, making audiologists key in early identification.
- 02Review covers preoperative management strategies and surgical candidate selection criteria.
- 03Published in Journal of Neuro-Oncology (2026), a specialist peer-reviewed journal.
- 04Appropriate patient selection and preoperative workup are critical to optimizing surgical outcomes.
- 05No new trial data presented; this is a narrative or systematic review of existing evidence.
Unilateral hearing loss is a common presenting symptom of vestibular schwannoma.
guidelinesupportedStructured preoperative management and candidate selection criteria improve outcomes in vestibular schwannoma surgery.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42443533
- DOI
- 10.1007/s11060-026-05704-2.
- Journal
- Journal of Neuro-Oncology
- Publication type
- review
- Evidence level
- 5
- Population
- Patients with vestibular schwannoma considered for surgical intervention
- Intervention
- Preoperative management strategies and surgical candidate selection criteria
Primary outcomes
Surgical candidate selection criteria; Preoperative management recommendations