Management of neurofibromatosis type 2

Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), an as-yet incurable disease that predisposes patients to multiple intracranial and spinal tumors, requires a team approach to treatment, because of its multisystem nature. Included on the team should be neuro-otologists, neurosurgeons, ophthalmologists, geneticists, audiologists, speech therapists and other rehabilitative personnel, including counselors, psychologists and, occasionally, psychiatrists. The challenge is to arrive at a treatment strategy that preserves useful hearing and quality of life without increasing the risk of complications to the facial nerve or compromising neurologic status. Choosing the best treatment approach involves considering a complex set of competing factors that affect various aspects of the patient's outcome.