Chirurgia di preservazione dell'udito. lento progresso e nuove strategie

ACTA oTorhinolAryngologiCA iTAliCA 2011;31:76-84

Otology

Hearing preservation surgery in acoustic neuroma.
Slow progress and new strategies
Chirurgia di preservazione dell’udito. Lento progresso e nuove strategie
A. MAzzoni1 2, F. Biroli2, C. Foresti3, A. signorelli2, C. sortino1, e. zAnoletti1
1
otolaryngology Unit, 2 neurosurgery Unit, 3 neurophysiology Unit, Department of neurosurgery and neurological
sciences, ospedali riuniti, Bergamo, italy

SummAry
Quality and rate of preserved hearing are crucial to make hearing preservation surgery a viable treatment. A long-term experience with
hearing preservation surgery, with tumour size and hearing as admission criteria, was evaluated to assess which size and hearing allowed a
high rate of success. The hearing outcome in relation to size of tumour and pre-operative hearing was retrospectively reviewed in a consecu-
tive series of 115 cases of sporadic acoustic neuroma which were operated on with hearing preservation surgery. inclusion criteria were
hearing with ≤ 30 dB pure tone average and ≥ 70% Speech Discrimination Score. The size was ≤ 15 mm in the first series of 51 cases, and
≤ 10 mm in the second series of 64 cases. Pre-operative and post-operative pure tone average were measured at 0.5 to 4.0 Khz, and speech
discrimination score at ≤ 40 dB above perception. Post-operative hearing within 30 dB pure tone average and 70% speech discrimination
score was considered socially useful hearing and successful outcome. The change to 40 dB pure tone average and 60% speech discrimina-
tion score from a pre-operative 30 pure tone average/70% speech discrimination score was considered an acceptable outcome. Patients with
a tumour of ≤ 10 mm size in the cerebello-pontine-angle and hearing within 20 dB pure tone average/80% speech discrimination score had a
success rate of 76%. Patients with hearing between the 20 dB pure tone average/80% speech discrimination score and 30 dB pure tone aver-
age/70% speech discrimination score had a success rate of 41%, which increased to 53% if the limit to success was set at 40 dB pure tone
average/60% speech discrimination score. Patients with a tumour larger than 10 mm or hearing worse than 30 dB pure tone average/70%
speech discrimination score had a poor preservation rate. in conclusion, hearing preservation surgery on a ≤ 10 mm acoustic neuroma with
good hearing had a high rate of success and appeared to be a realistic treatment option which could be integrated with observation and
radiotherapy in updated guidelines of treatment.

Key worDS: Acoustic neuroma • Vestibular schwannoma • Hearing preservation surgery

riASSunTo
La qualità ed il tasso di udito conservato sono cruciali nel rendere la chirurgia di conservazione dell’udito una terapia valida. La nostra
esperienza con detta chirurgia ha preso come criterio di ammissione la dimensione del tumore ed il livello dell’udito e viene studiata con il
proposito di accertare quale dimensione e quale udito hanno permesso un elevato tasso di successo. Si è compiuta una analisi retrospettiva
del risultato uditivo in rapporto a dimensione tumorale e udito preoperatorio in una serie di 115 casi di neurinoma acustico sporadico,
operati con chirurgia di conservazione dell’udito. I criteri di ammissione sono stati un udito preoperatorio di almeno 30 dB di Pure Tone
Audiometry (PTA) e 70% di Speech Discrimination Score (SDS). La dimensione era non superiore a 15 mm in una prima serie di 51 casi,
e non più di 10 mm in una seconda serie di 64 casi. L’udito è stato misurato con la media tonale pre- e postoperatoria alle frequenze da
0,5 a 4 kHz e con il tasso di discriminazione vocale (SDS) a non più di 40 dB di amplificazione sopra la soglia di percezione. Un udito
postoperatorio entro i 30 dB di PTA ed il 70% di SDS è stato considerato udito socialmente utile ed un successo. Un cambio a 40 dB PTA
e 60% SDS è stato considerato un risultato accettabile se l’udito preoperatorio era 30 dB PTA e 70% SDS. I risultati sono stati i seguenti:
i casi con tumore non superiore ai 10 mm in angolo ponto cerebellare e con udito entro i 20 dB PTA e 80% SDS hanno presentato un tasso
del 76% di successo. I casi con udito preoperatorio compreso tra 20 dB PTA-80% SDS e 30 dB PTA-70% SDS hanno presentato un tasso
di successo del 41%, che si eleva al 53% se il limite del successo è portato a 40 dB PTA e 60% SDS. I casi con tumore più grande di 10 mm
e/o con udito peggiore di 30 dB PTA-70% SDS hanno avuto un tasso di conservazione nettamente inferiore. In conclusione, la chirurgia di
conservazione dell’udito in tumori piccoli, ovvero non superiori a 10 mm e con udito buono può essere considerata una terapia valida che
può essere integrata con l’osservazione e la radioterapia in aggiornate linee guida di trattamento.

pArole cHiAVe: Neurinoma dell’acustico • Schwannoma vestibolare • Chirurgia di conservazione dell’udito

Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital 2011;31:76-84

76

hearing preservation surgery in acoustic neuroma

Introduction Table II. Size of tumour in II and III series.
hearing preservation was the last goal that surgery of II series of 51 cases Average Ø 8.63 mm
IN eligibility criteria Range 3-15 mm
acoustic neuroma added to the preservation of vital func- 19 cases
tions and facial nerve. Since the historical papers by elliot
OFF eligibility criteria Average Ø 11 mm
and mc Kinney 1, house 2, rand and Kurze 3 and the ensu- 32 cases Range 1-27 mm
ing reports both with the middle cranial fossa approach 4-7
III series of 64 cases i.c. 18
and the sub-occipital approach 8-12 hearing preservation IN-eligibility criteria Average Ø 7.3 mm
surgery continued to progress 13 14. 29 cases Range 4-9 mm
other treatment modalities, e.g. radiotherapy and observa- c.p.a. 11
tion, are challenging surgery and claim a high rate of pres- Average Ø 6 mm
Range 4-8 mm
ervation with minimally invasive treatment 15 or suggest
observational treatment in small non-growing tumours 16. OFF-eligibility criteria i.c. 11
35 cases Average Ø 6.8 mm
The present report focuses on personal experience with Range 4-10 mm
hearing preservation surgery (hPS) to emphasize that this c.p.a. 24
option should represent the first choice approach in small Average Ø 11.2 mm
Range 1-26 mm
tumours with good hearing and should be integrated with
observation, radiotherapy, and radical surgery in updated i.c.: intracanal tumor
c.p.a.: cerebello-pontine-angle tumor
guidelines of treatment.

Material and methods approach was adopted in 32 out of 51 cases in the second
series and in 35 out of 64 cases in the third series. Fac-
hPS was performed in 322 cases of sporadic vestibular
tors, in the second series, were PTA in 10 cases, size in 8
schwannoma from 1976 to April 2009. The eligibility to
cases, both PTA and size in 11 cases, PTA and SDS in 3.
surgery changed three times over the years (Table i) to
The exceeding factors of the third series were PTA in 17
become more and more restrictive with regard to tumour
cases, size in 7 cases, both factors in 2 cases, ABr in 3,
size and hearing level. The first series of 207 cases was the
PTA + ABr in 2, size + ABr in 4 cases. The size of the tu-
object of a previous article 17, the second series of 51 cases
mour was determined by the largest diameter in the c.p.a.
and the third series of 64 are reported herewith (Table ii).
at the enhanced T1 weighted magnetic resonance imaging
The trend to operate on smaller tumours with better hear-
(mri) 19. The extension of the tumour to the fundus of
ing could not always involve strict admission criteria, as
the internal auditory canal, both at mri and operation,
follows.
was recorded, but it did not influence the choice of the
The eligibility criteria of the second series were: size
approach. impaction on the fundus occurred in 57 cases,
≤ 15 mm in the cerebello-pontine-angle (c.p.a.) and hear-
with a firm adherence in 27 of these patients. in 32 cases,
ing with ≤ 30 dB Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA) and ≥ 70%
the gap between the tumour and the fundus was 1-2 mm,
Speech Discrimination Score (SDS). The results led to the
in 26 it was ≥ 3 mm. The size of the tumour for each series
third series criteria of ≤ 10 mm in size, ≤ 30 dB PTA and
is reported in Table ii.
≥ 70% SDS, and Auditory Brain response (ABr) with
only moderate changes. As we could not take a rigid stand- hearing level was assessed with PTA and SDS. The PTA
ing on criteria which were under trial, we operated also on was carried out at 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 khz, the SDS at com-
patients exceeding the size and hearing limit: namely with fortable loudness or at 40 dB above perception whichever
good hearing in a larger tumour, or bad hearing on the was less 18. These data were classified according to the
non-tumour ear, or because of the patient’s choice. This AAohnS guidelines 18 and the Consensus meeting on
Systems for reporting results 19 hereafter called the To-
kyo classification. The Tokyo grading is as follows:
Table I. Study population and eligibility criteria to HPS and hearing out- • class A is defined as an average pure tone hearing equal
come according to AAOHNS classification. or better than 20 dB PTA and a speech discrimination
HPS in 322 cases series I, II, III Hearing outcome score of at least 80%;
Eligibility criteria AAOHNS ’95, A-B classes • class B has the limit of 30 dB pTA/70% SDS;
I 1976-2000, 207 cases • classes c, D, e, F have a pTA of 20 dB steps and SDS
27.5%
Ø ≤ 30 mm, hearing 50/50 of 10%, a better speech discrimination score than PTA
II 2000-2002, 51 cases makes the category of the outcome one class higher.
32%*
Ø ≤ 15 mm, hearing 30/70
The tables on outcome show how the pre-operative cases
III 2002-2008, 64 cases of each class are distributed in the post-operative classes.
50%*
Ø ≤ 10 mm, hearing 30/70
outcome of every class was also reported as percent rate
*
Including cases OFF protocol.
of the post-op class or classes over the pre-op class. A suc-

77

A. mazzoni et al.

cess was considered hearing within 30 PTA and 70 SDS Table III. Complications in 115 cases (II-III series).
which corresponds to Class A in the AAohnS and A and Patients Complications Outcome
B in the Tokyo system. The failure was expressed with
F, 58 y, RS a. Cerebellar infarction → revision Regression
two figures depending on considering, or not, a failure, surgery → haemiparesis to normal
the drop to the next lower class.
M, 49 y, RS a. CSF leak 7 months Normal
The surgical technique was the retro-sigmoid (rS) ap- postop → revision surgery
proach with retro-labyrinthine meatotomy as already de- F, 47 y, RS a. CSF leak, post-op → revision Normal
scribed 17, in 96 cases, and the middle cranial fossa (mCF) surgery
approach in 19 cases of intra-meatal tumours. M, 32 y, MCF a. CSF leak, post-op → revision Normal
with the retro-sigmoid approach, the patient was placed surgery
in a lateral (park bench) position with the head contra-lat- y: years; a: approach; RS: retro-sigmoid; MCF: middle cranial fossa
erally turned of 30°. The surgical table was further rotated
20-30° during exposure of the lateral end of the acoustic
meatus. Table IV. Facial nerve function, post-operative outcome, 115 cases (II-
intra-operative monitoring was performed on the Vii c.n. III series), according with House Brackmann grading.
with electromyography (emg), and the auditory system Post-op. VII HB° No. patients %
with ABr and compound action potential (CAP) of the I 98 85.2%
cochlear nerve. Facial nerve function was assessed 18
II 10 8.6%
months post-operatively and classified according to house (1 case II° HB pre-op) (I-II° HB: 93.9%)
Brackmann grading. The follow-up involved an enhanced
III 7 6.2%
mri at 1, 3, 6, 10 years to assess a persistent tumour.
Total 115
hearing was investigated with PTA and speech audiom-
etry at 1 and 6 months and yearly thereafter. Pre-operative
ABr had an important role for admission to hPS in the
and Tokyo systems. in the eligible group of the second
third series of cases. Absence of ABr was an absolute
series (Table V), the success rate was AAoHNS class A
contraindication to hearing preservation. Absence of wave
37%, Class A+B 74%. According to the Tokyo system,
iii, latency of wave V superior to 7 ms and i to V interpeak
the rates were 30% Class A and 60% Class A+B. The
latency superior to 5.5 ms were considered unfavourable
failure rate ranged from 26% to 53%, according to the
factors and relative contra-indications. They were evalu-
pre-operative class and which post-operative class was
ated together with the size of the tumour, PTA and SDS to
considered a success.
decide admission to hPS, mostly in borderline cases.
The third series had AAohnS rates of 48% post-opera-
tive Class A and a 76% Class A+B. The failures as Classes
Results C and D were 24% but increased to 51% if Class B was
An overall view of the complete surgical material of 322 considered a failure. The rates according to the Tokyo
cases is reported in Table i. The first series 17 involved the classification were post-operative 42% Class A and 74%
elegibility limit of 30 mm size, 50 dB PTA and 50% SDS. Class A+B for the pre-operative Class A cases. in the pre-
The complications of the second and third series are re- operative Class B, the outcome was 40% Class B and 70%
ported in Table iii. The facial nerve outcome of the 115 Class B+C. The failures were 39% or 27.5% if C Class of
cases is reported in Table iV. overall, 94% of the cases pre-operative B was or was not considered a failure.
had a house Brackmann (hB) degree 1 or 2, 6% hB 3. The cases which were beyond the admission limit because
The 7 cases with hB 3 paresis were 2 intra-meatal tu- of size and/or hearing amounted to a total of 67 for the
mours operated on with the mCF approach, 5 cases with two series and had a failure rate ranging from 89% to 76%
the rS approach and size 4, 22, 22, 26, 17 mm, respec- both in the AAohnS 18 and Tokyo system 19, respectively,
tively. in the group of 19 intra-canalicular tumours, oper- and success of 37% to 50% in A cases and 23% to 16% in
ated upon with the mCF approach, there were 4 cases of B cases (Table Vii).
hB 2 and one case of hB 3. in the group of 54 cases of A total of 42 cases of the entire case material entered
rS approach, in ≤ 10 mm tumours the hB outcome was 1 the limits of 10 mm size, 30 dB PTA and 70% SDS and
in all cases except for two cases of hB 2 and one of hB 3. are grouped together in Table Viii. This group is rep-
in one of the 22 mm tumours, the anatomical continuity resentative of the current criteria of elegibility to hPS
was lost and re-established at the lateral end of the meatus and forms the end-point of our experience. with the
with a recovery to hB 3 function. AAohnS system 18, Class A occurred in 48%, Classes
The hearing outcome of the second and the third series is A+B in 83%. more details are seen with the Tokyo sys-
recorded for the group within the eligibility criteria and tem 19. Class A occurred in 26% and Classes A and B
the group beyond eligibility, according to the AAohnS in 62%. The outcome may be more appropriately re-

78


Table V. Hearing outcome in 19 eligible cases (≤ 15 mm, ≤ 30 dB PTA/70% SDS) of II series.
AAOHNS No. cases Post-op. A Post-op. B Post-op. C Post-op. D
Pre-op. A 19 7 7 / 5
TOKYO No. cases Post-op. A Post-op. B Post-op. C Post-op. D Post-op. E Post-op. F
Pre-op. A 10 3 3 1 / / 3
Pre-op. B 9 / 3 3 1 / 2
Total 19 3 6 4 1 / 5

Table VI. Hearing outcome in 29 eligible cases (≤ 10 mm, ≤ 30 dB PTA/70% SDS) of III series.
Pre-op. A 29 14 8 1 6
Pre-op. A 19 8 6 2 / / 3
Pre-op. B 10 / 4 3 / / 3
Total 29 7 9 5 / / 6

Table VII. Hearing outcome in 67 non-eligible cases of series II and III.
Pre-op. A 19 7 / 2 10
B 39 1 8 5 25
C 9 / / 1 8
Total 67 8 8 8 43
Pre-op. A 14 / 7 / / / 7
B 30 1 3 3 1 / 22
C 19 / / 3 5 1 10
D 4 / / / 1 / 3
Total 67 1 10 6 7 1 42

Table VIII. Hearing outcome in 42 (≤ 10 mm, ≤ 30 dB PTA/70% SDS) cases of II and III series.
AAOHNS No. cases Post-op.. A Post-op. B Post-op. C Post-op. D
Pre-op. A 42 20 15 1 6
Pre-op. A 25 11 8 (3) 2 (2) 1 / 3
Pre-op. B 17 / 7 (4) 6 (4) 1 / 3
Total 42 11 15 (7) 8 (6) 2 / 6
(…): cases with upgraded class.

ferred to the pre-operative Class A and Class B and de- in cases with class of SDS better than class of PTA, as
tails whether the post-operative hearing kept the class set by the Tokyo classification 19. There were 7 cases up-
or dropped by 10dB/10% score to the next lower class. graded to B from C Class. That is four pre-operative A
The Class A cases kept their Class in 44%, and dropped and three pre-operative B. There were 6 cases upgraded
to the B Class in 32% cases, thus totalling 76% within from D to C, three belonging to pre-operative A, three
the B Class or 64% within the 30 dB PTA and 70% SDS to pre-operative B. overall, the rate of upgrading was
level. This discrepancy between rate of the class and 31% in the selected series of 42 cases, it was 19% in the
rate of the PTA/SDS level is due to the class upgrading complete series of 115 cases.

79

A. mazzoni et al.

if the class upgrading is not applied, as set by the Sanna Table IX. Guidelines of treatment in Acoustic Neuroma (Non-cystic
classification 19, the success is less; 64% of the Class A acoustic neuroma, size as largest diameter in c.p.a.).
remain within Class A or B and 53% of Class B within Size Hearing Treatment
Class B or C. ≤ 10 mm Good hearing → HPS
The Class B cases had 41% within the class and a total of Bad hearing → * Observation
76% within the C Class and 53% in the 40 dB PTA and 10 to 15 mm (Good/ Bad hearing) Growth → S or RT
60% SDS limit. overall, 76% of the 42 cases fell within MRI 1 year No growth → Observation
the next lower class. The failures with the AAohnS were 15 to 25 mm → Surgery or RT
52.5% as classes B, C, D or 17.5% as Classes C, D. with > 25 mm → Surgery
the Tokyo class the failures were 33% or 19% if C Class
Observation involves MRI follow-up after 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9,14, 20 years. Age, co-
*

was not considered a failure in pre-operative B cases. it is morbidity, surgical risk can address to non-surgical treatment.
noteworthy to record the post-operative change of PTA.
The 25 pre-operative Class A cases were 19 post-opera-
tive Class A-B cases; there was no loss in 6 cases, and an ing ear 18, the hearing outcome is currently being consid-
average loss of 14.6, range 5 to 30 dB, in 13 cases. The ered a success if the level is equal to, or better than, 30 dB
17 pre-operative Class B cases were 13 post-operative B PTA and 70% SDS 25, which corresponds to the AAohnS
or C Class cases, with no loss in 2 cases and an average class A and to the Tokyo classes A and B. Tables V and
loss of 15 dB, range 3 to 31 dB, in the remaining 11 cases. Vi report the number of classes A and A+B for the two
recording of the post-operative PTA adds information to systems. The Tokyo Class B includes the cases with a PTA
the class grading. Class C and SDS Class B or A, which are promoted to
the next higher class than pTA. The last series (Table Vi)
Discussion with a success rate of 48% to 76% of the AAohnS 18 and
42% to 74% of Tokyo 19 reflects the improvement with
Hearing outcome respect to the previous series. The conclusive point of our
unilateral profound hearing loss or deafness are a com- experience is outlined in Table Viii which groups together
mon evolution both in untreated or treated acoustic neu- the 42 cases of 10 mm size belonging to the second and
roma and involve such disabilities as the understanding third series. The Tokyo Classification yields a success rate
of speech in noise, localizing a sound source 20-22 and an as shown in Tabella Viii. Tumours with a pre-operative
unpleasant feeling in a noisy context. rehabilitation of hearing equal to or better than the 20 dB pTA and 80%
the deaf ear with the contra-lateral routing of signal or SDS remain in the B Class at a rate of 76% and within the
with the bone anchored hearing aid 23 eliminate the head 30/70 level in 64%. The cases with pre-operative hear-
shadow effect but do not restore the binaural hearing 24. ing ranging between the 20/80 and 30/70 level keep their
hearing preservation of the tumour ear is the natural goal Class B in 41% and drop into class C in 35%, totalling
of every treatment. hPS over the years faced a series of 66% within the next lower class and 53% within the limit
unfavourable conditions. They were: the limited diffu- of 40 PTA and 60 SDS. The slight loss produced by sur-
sion of this treatment, the rarity of cases, the difficulty of gery then allowed success with the 20 dB PTA/ 80% SDS
obtaining good results and the widespread acceptance of cases, whereas it pushed the 30 dB PTA/70% SDS cases
non-surgical treatments. to the 40 dB PTA/ 60% SDS level. whether this Class
our 30 years’ involvement with hPS passed through dif- C may be a true failure, with no benefit to the patient,
ferent stages with different indications and outcomes (Ta- is not clear and also depends upon the contra-lateral ear,
ble i). outcomes of the first series of 207 cases 17 showed the binaural hearing in silence and noise and the effect of
that only the few small tumours with good hearing allowed hearing rehabilitation. we conclude that hPS has a high
a reasonable rate of success. For example, 45 out of 68 rate of success and can be considered a realistic form of
cases of preserved hearing, in the group of 150 cases, had treatment in tumours size ≤ 10 mm in the c.p.a. and hear-
a ≤ 10 mm size, 13 had a 10-15 mm size and 10 were over ing equal to, or better than, 20 dB pTA and 80% SDS.
15 mm. The admission criteria were then changed in the if the hearing limit is placed at 30 dB PTA/70 SDS, the
second and third series with the aim of improving rate and indication to hPS is still advisable.
quality of preserved hearing. There followed an improve- The class upgrading, when SDS belongs to a better class
ment in hearing preservation (Tables V-Vi) which took than PTA, as set by the Tokyo classification, disrupts the
place with the more restrictive admission criteria up to equivalence B class 30 dB pTA/70 SDS, or c class 40 dB
the conclusive limit of 30 dB PTA, 70% SDS and 10 mm PTA/60 SDS. Adopting the AAohnS 18 or the modified
size. Tumours beyond this limit showed a substantial drop Sanna 19 classifications, which do not use the class upgrade,
in outcome quality (Table Vii). results in the PTA alone dictating the class. This occurs as,
Although a satisfactory hearing level cannot be judged with diverging PTA and SDS, the worst is selected, and
only on the basis of audiometric criteria for the worse hear- PTA is constantly worse, at least in our material.

80


The small size and good hearing were commonly consid- be pursued on the basis of the natural course of the disease
ered favourable prognostic factors to hPS 26. The good re- and the outcome of the active treatment. This observation is
sults in this group of patients, however, were not obvious in supported by a strong argument, the spontaneous and stable
the large series including cases with a lesser pre-operative arrest of growth in 71.1% of tumours lying in the c.p.a. and
hearing. Disregard of this aspect was present in critical re- in 83% intra-meatal tumours 16. Stereotactic radiotherapy
views on hPS 25 and in a cautious attitude on the role of claims a no-growth rate of as much as 94-98% 15 30 31. Two
hPS 16. These judgements contributed to the acceptance of points deserve attention. one is how these treatments af-
the non-surgical treatments which therefore prevented the fect hearing, the other which is the outcome of the cases
patients from being offered a hearing preservation option. submitted to secondary surgery because of growth. obser-
The dilation of the internal auditory canal caused by the vation involves a loss of hearing even in non-growing tu-
tumour was demonstrated to be of prognostic value. when mours 32-34. Successful radiotherapy leads to no change in
the diameter of the canal, as seen at bone window CT hearing in the short term 15 30 but progressive and severe loss
was much larger than the normal side, the cochlear nerve in the mid-long term is a common experience only recently
was thinned out by the tumour and more likely to loose reported 35-37. The second point concerns the principle that
function at dissection. The monitoring of the CAP (com- the outcome of observation and radiotherapy should in-
pound action potential) allowed a brief interval of time clude also the results of secondary surgery on the grow-
between the surgical action and its effect on the cochlear ing tumour. The observation in an extra-meatal tumour in-
nerve function. The noxious manoeuvre could be, to some volves surgery when the tumour shows a detectable growth
degree, corrected. The nerve function usually changed or > 15 mm, which takes place in 29% of cases 16. This means
was lost at dissecting between the posterior pole of the surgery in tumours over 18 mm, in which the predictable
tumour and the meatus. it seemed that a direct, or even outcome is deafness, and a Vii cranial nerve loss of 3 HB
an indirect, distension of the cochlear nerve was the most degrees or worse in approximately 17% of cases 38.
common factor to damage it or make it vulnerable to a The intra-meatal tumour has a 17% chance of growing
further, even slight, handling. extra-meatal 16 while the tumour remaining intra-meatal
in the literature, extension of the tumour to the fundus shows a spontaneous loss of class A-B hearing in ap-
of the auditory canal was felt to contraindicate the retro- proximately 50% or more of cases 33 34. while surgery and
sigmoid approach, as it implied a blind dissection with observation have the support of reliable studies, radiation
risk of damaging the nerves or leaving a residual tumour. requires the support of methodologically correct studies.
The retro-labyrinthine meatotomy, as well as the endos- The current reports take the lack of growth as an index
copy-assisted approach 27 can solve this problem. we had of success and point to indicate a 94-98% rate of suc-
no residual tumour 28 or nerve losses, at dissection, on the cess 15 30 31. This is, however, an equivocal figure, as the
distal half of the canal. vast majority of small tumours spontaneously stop grow-
understanding the differences between classifications is ing. rT should, therefore, be used in the case of grow-
important for their convenient use. The PTA at 0.5 to 3 ing tumours. observing a tumour in order to treat it when
Khz is likely to be better than a PTA at 0.5 to 4 Khz and growth is proven, is in itself a further cause of hearing
to put a borderline case in a better class. Testing the SDS change adding up to the late effect of radiation. which is
with a limited amplification, for example at 40 dB above the efficacy of rT on a small growing tumour? no reports
the threshold 18 involves often a lower figure than would on this subject are available yet. we can arbitrarily com-
be without a limit. we adopted this more realistic method bine data from various sources and reach a provisional
also with the Tokyo classification 19. The word recogni- answer. if the failure rate of 2-6% is referred to the 29%
tion Score 29 gave a 10% higher figure of success than the of growing tumours, as the natural history states 16, the
other systems in our material. The Tokyo A and B classes corrected failure rate should be in the range of 7-22%. The
outlined better the top quality outcome and demonstrated necessary operation would result in deafness, and a facial
better the correlation between a good pre-operative hear- loss of at least 3 hB degrees in a high rate of cases 39 40. in
ing and success. Stratifying the hearing levels in classes conclusion, the overall outcome of the complete course of
may involve an unnoticed effect. hearing may change to treatment with observation or radiation in small tumours
a lower level and still keep the original class, or it may be with good hearing includes a succession of losses, e.g.,
subject to a small change and drop to the lower class. This the initial hearing loss, the hearing loss of the observation,
fact is likely to take place with the hearing levels situated and the further deafness and facial loss of the secondary
at the two extremes of each class. surgery. The amount of these sequelae is not inferior to
those produced by hPS in the complete group of similar
Treatment options cases and may reverse the view that observation or radia-
experience shows that hPS is mainly directed to the small tion are more conservative. hPS involves, however, other
tumour for which other options such as observation and ra- and less favourable aspects to be discussed. These are the
diotherapy are available. A rational choice of treatment can morbidity of the surgery and the long-term decay of the

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preserved hearing. our patients returned to their pre-op- increased surgical risks indicate the need for observation or
erative life and work within one to three months, with the radiotherapy. The patient’s desire to choose between differ-
exception of 5 cases which took longer. The post-operative ent options is decisive. The case of the > 10 mm tumour with
pain in the back of the neck, radiating to the head, faded good hearing and a lesser chance of hearing preservation is a
away after the first year. These problems, with their loss matter for patient’s and doctor’s judgement.
of quality of life, should be weighed against the lifetime updating the treatment of acoustic neuroma involved the
psychological burden of harbouring a “benign tumour”. evaluation of the complete course of each option includ-
The preserved hearing is subject to long-term decay with ing the management failures, and indicated the treatment
a different rate and degree 35. in a ten-year follow-up of with the least morbidity. Timely treatment is more effec-
our first series, this was proportional to the initial post-op- tive with early diagnosis especially when active treatment
erative loss. The hearing of the AAohnS Classes A and B is debated. The suggested guidelines, indicate that radi-
dropped by one class with a 16% rate of cases otherapy needs better data regarding its efficacy on the
growing tumour. early surgery on a small tumour, on the
Updating the guidelines of treatment other hand, can benefit more from complete data on the
The increasing number of small tumours and the new infor- rate and pattern of tumour growth.
mation on the natural history and the outcome of surgery
and radiotherapy offer the opportunity to update the guide- Conclusions
lines of treatment. This involves a balance between such
different factors as size and growth of the tumour, hearing unilateral hearing loss, or deafness, are common events
and facial nerve function, age and co-morbidity, desire of in acoustic neuroma and cause serious handicaps to in-
the patient, as well as the burden imposed on his/her physi- ner, social and professional life. The hPS addressed to
cal and emotional condition. The minimal morbidity is the this problem was of limited success and raised doubts of
common goal both of active treatments and observation. being an unrealistic goal due to the few eligible cases and
Tschudi et al. 41 suggested watchful expectation and surgery insufficient rate of success. more recent progress, how-
or radiotherapy in the event of proven growth. Stangerup ever, appears to favour the important role of hPS. These
et al. 16 proposed observation for tumours smaller than include early diagnosis of small tumours, the selection of
15 mm and active treatment for tumours growing > 2 mm cases with a favourable surgical prognosis, the advances
above this size. The 15 mm limit was to avoid the increased made in surgery thanks to the experience of the surgeon
surgical morbidity on the Vii nerve with a larger tumour. and use of monitoring. This report on our experience with
This criterion, however, entails operating on ≥ 18 mm tu- hPS aims to contribute to the present debate and focuses
mours with a risk of facial nerve loss which is reported to on two points. Does hPS offer a benefit which makes the
be as high as 17% of hB grade iii or worse in the 15 to operation worthwhile? Are there alternative treatments?
25 mm tumour 39. Surgery on smaller tumours lowers the 1. in our experience, hPS offers a success rate of 76%
facial risk to 9% 38, but it requires the non-growing tumour in small tumours with good hearing. The limit of eleg-
be excluded from unnecessary treatment. To this aim, an ibility to hPS is size ≤ 10 mm in the c.p.a. and hearing
mri control within the next 12 months, showing absence equal to or better than 20 dB pTA and 80% SDS, and
of growth, can be a predictor of no growth 41-43 with a 5.6% ABr with only moderate changes. Cases below this
chance of missing a later arrest of growth 44. limit, but still within the 30 PTA and 70% SDS, have a
our guidelines (Table iX) include hPS, conventional sur- 66% chance of maintaining the same class or the class
gery, observation and radiotherapy, and select the treatment immediately below.
on the basis of size and growth of the tumour, hearing and the 2. Alternative treatments should be judged on the basis
patient-related factors such as age, co-morbidity, surgical risk of the outcome of the entire course of the treatment.
and the individual’s preference. if a patient with a ≤ 10 mm observation and STrT are the options allowing a
tumour presents good hearing within 30 dB PTA/70% SDS non-surgical approach, with the functional preserva-
and ABr with only moderate changes, hPS is offered as first tion and maintenance of the tumour. with both these
choice treatment. The only one exception could be a tumour options, however, the better preservation, which has
with 100% SDS, in which the chance of good long-term been claimed, is not obtained. hearing is inevitably
hearing 34 suggests observational treatment. if hearing is bad, impaired and the facial nerve is subject to a higher risk
observation with mri follow-up is the best option, as it al- if the complete course of treatment, with the obligatory
lows treatment of the non-growing tumour to be avoided. A surgery on a growing tumour is accounted for.
tumour between 10 and 15 mm in size is submitted to active hPS presents its own drawbacks, e.g. the fate of hearing
treatment when annual mri shows evidence of growth. A cannot be predicted in the individual case, the operation is
> 15 mm tumour involves surgery or radiotherapy. The sur- itself a disease. These inconveniences represent the price
gical option changes to observation or radiotherapy depend- for recovery and belong to the balance of “pro and contra”
ing on patient-related factors. Age, and/or co-morbidity with to be discussed with the patient.

82


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received: February 10, 2011 - Accepted: march 5, 2011

Address for correspondence: prof. A. Mazzoni, via Valverde 33,
24123 Bergamo, italy. e-mail: antonio.mazzoni@libero.it

84

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