Clinical and Histologic Parameters Correlated with Facial Nerve Function After Vestibular Schwannoma Surgery

This study was conducted to identify clinical and histologic factors that would influence, independently of tumor staging, postoperative facial function after removal of a vestibular schwannoma. A prospective study was performed on 35 consecutive patients with vestibular schwannomas who underwent the translabyrinthine approach. Facial function was assessed before and 1 year after surgery. The factors that influenced the postoperative outcome of the facial function independently of tumor staging were the absence or the desynchronization of homolateral auditory brainstem responses and tumor edema. Other factors (audiovestibular signs of brainstem compression, tumor inflammation, positive p53 protein immunostaining) were predictive of postoperative facial function but also correlated with tumor staging. Besides the well-known prognostic value of tumor staging for postoperative facial outcome, clinical (auditory brainstem responses) and histologic (tumor edema) factors correlated with postoperative facial function.