Postoperative Radiographic Evaluation After Acoustic Neuroma and Glomus Jugulare Tumor Removal

Abstract

The role of postoperative radiographic follow-up of patients after acoustic neuroma or glomus jugulare tumor removal is unclear and not standardized. The incidence of both lesions is rare and recurrence thought to be unusual. However, a patient with an acoustic neuroma arising in the same ear afflicted with a glomus jugulare tumor removed 5 years earlier prompted a retrospective review of 999 acoustic neuroma and 98 glomus jugulare tumor patients. This review helps to determine the role and frequency of postoperative follow-up, not only to assess recurrence of these lesions but to monitor for the possible development of potential clinically silent new lesions.

Glomus Jugulare Tumors

“…GJTs are extremely rare, with an incidence of approximately one case per one million people (27,38). GJTs account for 0.03% of all neoplasms and 0.6% of all head and neck tumors (4,36).…”

Long-term Control of Vestibular Schwannoma after a Translabyrinthine Complete Removal

“…The recurrence rate after total translabyrinthine removal resection is low (24). However, and despite a total removal of all visible tumor using the surgical microscope, the remnants of cochlear and vestibular nerve and the facial nerve may be invaded beyond the more obvious boundaries with skip lesions of intraneural invasion that can be detected only histologically (23).…”

Leksell Gamma Knife Radiosurgery of the Tumor Glomus Jugulare and Tympanicum

“…After surgical removal of the tumor, it is important to keep in mind that at least 15% of the patients will not be able to have the same kind of lifestyle as they had before surgery [10]. After an eventual surgical resection of the tumor, long-term followup is necessary, because recurrence is seen in 16-18% [18,19]. Recurrence can appear after more than 20 years, even after an apparently total removal of the tumor [2,3,20].…”