Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026
Primary Culture of Human Vestibular Schwannomas
Published on: July 20, 2014
Growth Patterns of Small Intracanalicular Vestibular Schwannomas
Katherine Pollaers1, Tim Matthews2, Sean Flanagan1
1Department of Otolaryngology, Head, Neck and Skull Base Surgery, St. Vincent's Hospital.
Objective:
Describe the natural history of small intrameatal vestibular schwannomas.
Study Design:
Retrospective case series.
Setting:
Tertiary referral center.
Patients:
Patients diagnosed with small (5 mm or less) intrameatal vestibular schwannoma with at least 3-year surveillance magnetic resonance imaging studies.
Interventions:
Observational study.
Main Outcome Measures:
Tumor growth and conversion from active surveillance to surgical or radiotherapy treatment during observation.
Results:
Of the 74 patients identified, 36% (n=27/74) of tumors grew over a median surveillance time of 79 months (IQR: 71). Twelve percent (n=9/74) of cases with small intrameatal vestibular schwannomas who entered a period of active imaging surveillance went on to receive surgical or radiotherapy treatment at a median time of 77 (IQR: 30) months post-diagnosis.
Conclusions:
The findings support an ongoing recommendation for small intrameatal vestibular schwannomas to be followed with the same magnetic resonance imaging protocols as larger tumors.
