Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Feb 22;85(2):123-130.
doi: 10.1055/a-2021-8762. eCollection 2024 Apr.

Reported Hearing Outcome Measures Following Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Vestibular Schwannoma: A Scoping Review

Ibrahim Almufarrij  1   2 , Cathal John Hannan  3   4   5 , Andrew Thomas King  3   4   5 , Andy Vail  6 , Calvin Heal  6 , Gillian Whitfield  7   8 , Omar Nathan Pathmanaban  3   4   9 , Simon K Lloyd  9   10   11 , Kevin J Munro  1   12
Affiliations

Reported Hearing Outcome Measures Following Stereotactic Radiosurgery for Vestibular Schwannoma: A Scoping Review

Ibrahim Almufarrij et al. J Neurol Surg B Skull Base. .

Abstract

Background Evidence on hearing outcome measures when assessing hearing preservation following stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for adults with vestibular schwannoma (VS) has not previously been collated in a structured review. Objective The objective of the present study was to perform a scoping review of the evidence regarding the choice of hearing outcomes and other methodological characteristics following SRS for adults with VS. Methods The protocol was registered in the International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (INPLASY) and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses extension guidelines for scoping reviews. A systematic search of five online databases revealed 1,591 studies, 247 of which met the inclusion criteria. Results The majority of studies ( n = 213, 86%) were retrospective cohort or case series with the remainder ( n = 34, 14%) prospective cohort. Pure-tone audiometry and speech intelligibility were included in 222 (90%) and 158 (64%) studies, respectively, often summarized within a classification scheme and lacking procedural details. Fifty-nine (24%) studies included self-report measures. The median duration of follow-up, when reported, was 43 months (interquartile range: 29, 4-150). Conclusion Evidence on hearing disability after SRS for VS is based on low-quality studies which are inherently susceptible to bias. This review has highlighted an urgent need for a randomized controlled trial assessing hearing outcomes in patients with VS managed with radiosurgery or radiological observation. Similarly, consensus and coproduction of a core outcome set to determine relevant hearing and communication outcome domains is required. This will ensure that patient priorities, including communication abilities in the presence of background noise and reduced participation restrictions, are addressed.

Keywords: hearing preservation; scoping review; stereotactic radiosurgery; vestibular schwannoma.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest I.A. is supported by the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, and the Deanship of Scientific Research at the College of Applied Medical Sciences Research Center at King Saud University. K.J.M. reports grants received from NIHR and is supported by the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre. S.K.L. is supported by the NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre. The services of an Information Specialist and publication fees for Open Access were provided by NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow diagram of the selection process based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Note: n , number of studies.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Histogram demonstrating the frequency distribution of the median follow-up duration of included studies, where reported ( n  = 139). The median follow-up duration was 43 months (interquartile range 29, 4–150).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Marinelli J P, Beeler C J, Carlson M L, Caye-Thomasen P, Spear S A, Erbele I D. Global incidence of sporadic vestibular schwannoma: a systematic review. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2022;167(02):209–214. - PubMed
    1. Smith M J, Bowers N L, Bulman M et al.Revisiting neurofibromatosis type 2 diagnostic criteria to exclude LZTR1-related schwannomatosis. Neurology. 2017;88(01):87–92. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Matthies C, Samii M.Management of 1000 vestibular schwannomas (acoustic neuromas): clinical presentation Neurosurgery 199740011–9., discussion 9–10 - PubMed
    1. Kirchmann M, Karnov K, Hansen S, Dethloff T, Stangerup S E, Caye-Thomasen P. Ten-year follow-up on tumor growth and hearing in patients observed with an intracanalicular vestibular schwannoma. Neurosurgery. 2017;80(01):49–56. - PubMed
    1. Carlson M L, Vivas E X, McCracken D J et al.Congress of neurological surgeons systematic review and evidence-based guidelines on hearing preservation outcomes in patients with sporadic vestibular schwannomas. Neurosurgery. 2018;82(02):E35–E39. - PubMed

Publication types