Treatment of patients with glomus jugulare tumours (GJT) and its subjective effect on quality of life (QoL) measures

Abstract

Cerebellopontine angle (CPA) tumours account for 6-10% of intracranial tumours. The most common CPA tumours are vestibular schwannomas (VS), also known as acoustic neuromas, benign tumours of the vestibulocochlear nerve. Less common but symptomatic skull base lesions are glomus jugulare tumours (GJT), of which approximately 40% are identified as CPA tumours. Initial symptoms for GJT may include hearing loss and tinnitus and progress to various cranial nerve dysfunctions. Three well-accepted treatment modalities for such tumours include surgical resection, radiotherapy and/or conservative management employing serial MR or CT imaging. Patients' quality of life may be impacted by different treatment methods, so treatment decisions should be client centered.

Keywords: Balance and Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI); Cerebellopontine angle (CPA) tumours; Hearing handicap inventory (HHI); Short-form 12 health survey (SF-12) version 1; Stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT); Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI).