Acoustic neuroma surgery in Northern Ireland 1976-1986

Forty acoustic neuromas have been removed surgically between 1976 and 1986. The condition was unilateral in 32 and bilateral in four. There were 31 large, four medium and five small tumours. Excision was complete in 16 and incomplete in 24. Of the incomplete removals 14 were subtotal leaving microscopic remnants, eight were partial capsular and two were intracapsular. Follow-up ranged from two months to ten years (median 3.5 years).There was one early death in an 83-year-old. The overall incidence of post-operative complete facial paralysis was 20% but reached 55% for large tumours when excision was complete. Twenty-eight patients had hearing before operation and in eleven patients some preservation of hearing was possible (39%). In these, the excision was complete in three, subtotal in four, partial capsular in three and intracapsular in one.Of the unilateral tumours, there have been three recurrences requiring repeat surgery. All were initially incompletely excised. Two were of an invasive nature causing considerable erosion of the petrous temporal bone making complete excision impossible. For the bilateral tumours a deliberate incomplete excision was first performed on one side to ensure preservation of hearing. Further excision on this side was then left until such time as hearing was lost. Complications included CSF otorhinorrhoea (5%), persistent but temporary nausea and vomiting (10%), meningitis (5%), facial numbness (5%) and hoarseness and dysphagia (3%).