The role of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) of vestibular schwannomas (VS) in patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) is still not established well. The objective of this retrospective study was evaluation of effectiveness of proactive microanatomy-based low-dose SRS for serviceable hearing preservation in such cases.
This small 16-patient retrospective study suggests microanatomy-guided low-dose radiosurgery may preserve hearing in NF2-related vestibular schwannomas, but the sample size and design are too limited to change current practice; audiologists managing NF2 patients should note findings but await larger controlled evidence.
Hearing preservation in NF2 is a major clinical challenge, and refining radiosurgery techniques to spare cochlear function could meaningfully reduce the burden of bilateral deafness in this population.
- 01Retrospective study of 16 NF2 patients treated with microanatomy-based low-dose stereotactic radiosurgery for vestibular schwannomas.
- 02Primary focus was hearing preservation outcomes following radiosurgery.
- 03Microanatomy-guided approach aims to reduce radiation dose to cochlear and neural structures.
- 04NF2 patients are at particularly high risk of bilateral hearing loss, making hearing preservation critical.
- 05Small sample size and retrospective design limit generalisability of findings.
Microanatomy-based low-dose radiosurgery is effective for hearing preservation in NF2 patients with vestibular schwannomas.
studypartially supported- PMID
- 42166420
- DOI
- 10.1159/000552251.
- Journal
- Audiology and Neurotology
- Publication type
- research_article
- Evidence level
- 4
- Sample size
- 16
- Population
- Adults with Neurofibromatosis Type 2 (NF2) and vestibular schwannomas requiring radiosurgery
- Intervention
- Microanatomy-based low-dose stereotactic radiosurgery of vestibular schwannomas
Primary outcomes
Hearing preservation rate following radiosurgery; Audiological outcomes post-treatment