Stereotactic radiosurgery of benign intracranial tumors

Stereotactic radiosurgery is a frequently performed procedure for patients with benign intracranial tumors. Benign tumors are good candidates for radiosurgery because they are generally non-invasive, are well visualized by magnetic resonance imaging, and their slow rate of proliferation makes conventional radiation dose fractionation unnecessary. Stereotactic radiosurgery is now an important part of both neurosurgical and radiation oncology training. This chapter will review the indications and results of radiosurgery for patients with intracranial meningiomas, vestibular schwannomas, and pituitary adenomas having single-fraction radiosurgery at the Mayo Clinic since 1990.