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Comparative Study
. 2006 Jul;59(1):77-85; discussion 77-85.
doi: 10.1227/01.NEU.0000219217.14930.14.

Patient outcomes after vestibular schwannoma management: a prospective comparison of microsurgical resection and stereotactic radiosurgery

Bruce E Pollock  1 , Colin L W Driscoll, Robert L Foote, Michael J Link, Deborah A Gorman, Christopher D Bauch, Jayawant N Mandrekar, Karl N Krecke, Craig H Johnson
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Patient outcomes after vestibular schwannoma management: a prospective comparison of microsurgical resection and stereotactic radiosurgery

Bruce E Pollock et al. Neurosurgery. 2006 Jul.

Abstract

Objective: The best management for patients with small- to medium-sized vestibular schwannomas (VS) is controversial.

Methods: : A prospective cohort study of 82 patients with unilateral, unoperated VS less than 3 cm undergoing surgical resection (n = 36) or radiosurgery (n = 46). Patients undergoing resection were younger (48.2 yr versus 53.9 yr, P = 0.03). The groups were similar with regard to hearing loss, associated symptoms, and tumor size. The mean follow-up period was 42 months (range, 12-62 mo).

Results: Normal facial movement and preservation of serviceable hearing was more frequent in the radiosurgical group at 3 months (P < 0.001), 1 year (P < 0.001), and at the last follow-up examination (P < 0.01) compared with the surgical resection group. Patients undergoing surgical resection had a significant decline in the following subscales of the Health Status Questionnaire 3 months after surgery: physical functioning (P = 0.006), role-physical (P < 0.001), energy/fatigue (P = 0.02), and overall physical component (P = 0.004). Patients in the surgical resection group continued to have a significant decline in the physical functioning (P = 0.04) and bodily pain (P = 0.04) subscales at 1 year and in bodily pain (P = 0.02) at the last follow-up examination. The radiosurgical group had no decline on any component of the Health Status Questionnaire after the procedure. The radiosurgical group had lower mean Dizziness Handicap Inventory scores (16.5 versus 8.4, P = 0.02) at the last follow-up examination. There was no difference in tumor control (100 versus 96%, P = 0.50).

Conclusion: Early outcomes were better for VS patients undergoing stereotactic radiosurgery compared with surgical resection (Level 2 evidence). Unless long-term follow-up evaluation shows frequent tumor progression at currently used radiation doses, radiosurgery should be considered the best management strategy for the majority of VS patients.

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