Acoustic Neuroma

Acoustic Neuroma, technically known as vestibular schwannoma, is a noncancerous benign tumor that occurs in the superior portion of the vestibular nerve which can be found in and actually is a part of the eighth cranial nerve complex. This is important as this nerve needs to be healthy for proper equilibrium or balance, as well as hearing. The name of the tumor as with most pathologies gets it's name from the anatomy involved, in this case the nerve that it affects.

In the image on the left you can see the tumor in the middle of the picture and the blood vessels surrounding it that feed it. The contrast enhanced axial image on the right highlights the tumor in the internal auditory canal. Before CT and MRI finding and diagnosis of this type of tumor was very difficult and often missed.

Signs and symptoms associated with the growth of an acoustic neuroma could include unilateral tinnitus, unilateral hearing loss, facial nerves not functioning properly, problems with cerebellar area functions, problems swallowing, and strange sensations unilaterally in the face. In cases of the tumor becoming very large, hydrocephalus, and brain stem compression could occur causing a whole array of other problems not mentioned here.