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Primary Culture of Human Vestibular Schwannomas
Published on: July 20, 2014
Acoustic neuroma with malignant transformation. Case report
K Hanabusa1, A Morikawa, T Murata
1Department of Neurosurgery and Pathology, Suzuka General Hospital, Tsu, Mie, Japan. cualu800@occn.zaq.ne.jp
Journal of Neurosurgery
|September 22, 2001
Summary
A rare case of a benign neuroma in the cerebellopontine angle that became malignant after treatment is presented. This case highlights the importance of monitoring residual tumors and understanding potential treatment effects.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neurosurgery
- Oncology
Background:
- A 57-year-old woman presented with a 1-year history of right-sided hearing disturbance.
- The initial diagnosis was a right cerebellopontine angle tumor.
Observation:
- The tumor, initially a benign neuroma, was surgically removed via a retrosigmoid approach.
- Residual tumor growth was detected 4 years post-surgery and treated with gamma knife surgery (GKS).
- Tumor regrowth occurred 6 months after GKS, necessitating a combined retrosigmoid-translabyrinthine surgical approach.
Findings:
- Histological examination revealed abnormal mitotic figures, indicating malignant transformation of the tumor.
- The malignant tumor grew rapidly, leading to the patient's death 6.5 years after the initial treatment.
- The potential role of GKS in the tumor's malignant progression remains unclear but warrants consideration.
Implications:
- This case underscores the critical need for long-term surveillance of residual cerebellopontine angle tumors, even those initially diagnosed as benign.
- The potential for malignant transformation and the impact of treatments like GKS require further investigation.
- Documentation of such rare occurrences is vital for advancing clinical understanding and management strategies for cerebellopontine angle tumors.
