Gamma Knife surgery for nonvestibular schwannomas: radiological and clinical outcomes

Abstract

Gamma Knife surgery is a reasonably effective treatment option for patients with nonvestibular schwannomas. Patients require careful follow-up for tumor progression and signs of neurological deterioration.

Clinical diagnosis and treatment outcomes for parapharyngeal space schwannomas: A single‐institution review of 21 cases

“…Over the past decade, stereotactic radiosurgery has evolved as a less‐invasive function‐sparing alternative to open microsurgery for intracranial tumors. Although the role of radiotherapy in treatment of nonvestibular schwannomas in the head and neck region had been limited as compared to stereotactic radiosurgery for vestibular schwannoma, several recent studies of stereotactic radiosurgery for nonvestibular schwannomas demonstrated favorable control of tumor growth and relatively low incidence of adverse events . However, the vast majority of the patients in those studies had intracranial, transcranial, or skull base schwannomas, for which surgical resection inevitably leads to more serious morbidity with much higher incidence than those for PPS and cervical schwannomas.…”

“…Although the role of radiotherapy in treatment of nonvestibular schwannomas in the head and neck region had been limited as compared to stereotactic radiosurgery for vestibular schwannoma, several recent studies of stereotactic radiosurgery for nonvestibular schwannomas demonstrated favorable control of tumor growth and relatively low incidence of adverse events. [30][31][32][33][34] However, the vast majority of the patients in those studies had intracranial, transcranial, or skull base schwannomas, for which surgical resection inevitably leads to more serious morbidity with much higher incidence than those for PPS and cervical schwannomas. Considering the potential risk of radiation-induced neoplasms and/or malignant transformation of vestibular schwannoma after stereotactic radiosurgery, [35][36][37][38][39] we should be cautious about applying stereotactic radiosurgery to younger patients with nonvestibular schwannomas, including those in the PPS.…”

The Middle Fossa Approach for the Removal of a Trochlear Schwannoma

“…Of these, trigeminal schwannomas are the most common but only account for up to 8% of intracranial schwannomas [31]. Trochlear schwannomas are extremely rare as this case represents just the 32nd reported case that was surgically confirmed (Table 1).…”

Hypofractionated stereotactic radiotherapy for dumbbell-shaped hypoglossal schwannomas: Two cases of long-term follow-up and a review of the literature

“…Kimball et al (11) reported one case treated with linear accelerator radiosurgery, in which the patient experienced an improvement in dysphonia. In addition, Elsharkawy et al (12) reported two cases of hypoglossal schwannoma that regressed following treatment with Gamma Knife radiosurgery.…”