Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is an established treatment for vestibular schwannoma, offering high tumor control rates and a favorable safety profile. SRS-induced facial palsy is typically a late-onset complication, with acute-onset cases being exceedingly rare....
✦ The floor
Discussion
Signed responses from readers of the wire.
Clinicians managing vestibular schwannoma patients treated with Gamma Knife radiosurgery should be aware that acute facial palsy, though rare, can occur early post-treatment; no change to standard monitoring protocols is justified from a single case report.
Acute-onset facial palsy after stereotactic radiosurgery is a poorly characterised complication that challenges the assumption that nerve injury always presents late, potentially informing patient counselling and follow-up scheduling.
- 01Case report of acute facial palsy occurring shortly after Gamma Knife radiosurgery for vestibular schwannoma.
- 02Typical stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS)-related facial palsy is late-onset; this case represents an unusual early presentation.
- 03Clinical course, timing, and outcome are described in detail.
- 04Single case — no prevalence or risk factor data can be derived.
- 05Highlights the need for post-SRS facial nerve monitoring in the acute period.
Gamma Knife radiosurgery can induce acute facial palsy in vestibular schwannoma patients, distinct from the more typical late-onset SRS-related palsy.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42541788
- DOI
- 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.49629-25.2.
- Journal
- Turkish Neurosurgery
- Publication type
- case_report
- Evidence level
- 4
- Sample size
- 1
- Population
- Single patient with vestibular schwannoma treated with Gamma Knife radiosurgery
- Intervention
- Gamma Knife radiosurgery for vestibular schwannoma
Primary outcomes
Onset timing and clinical course of facial palsy post-radiosurgery; Facial nerve outcome