Long-term follow-up results of facial nerve schwannoma with good facial nerve function: a multicenter study

Young Sang Cho, Jong Dae Lee, Yang Sun Cho, Jun Ho Lee, Hee Won Seo, Jang Wook Gwak, In Seok Moon, Jin Woong Choi, Gyu Cheol Han, Ja Won Koo, Jong Woo Chung

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Purpose: Facial nerve schwannomas (FNSs) are rare intracranial tumors, and the optimal management of these tumors remains unclear. We investigated the long-term follow-up results of FNS with good facial nerve function. Methods: At nine medical centers in the Korean Facial Nerve Study Group, 43 patients undergoing observation periods longer than 12 months for FNS with good facial nerve function (House-Brackmann grade ≤ II) were enrolled, and clinical and radiographic data were obtained for these cases. Results: The mean follow-up period was 63 months. In the majority of cases, tumors involved multiple segments (81.4%) and only eight cases were confined to a single site. There were no cases where the tumor was confined to the extratemporal region. Tumor size increased slightly, with an average estimated change of 0.48 mm/year. Twenty (46.5%) of 43 patients showed no change in tumor size. Seven patients (16.3%) showed worsening House-Brackmann (H–B) grade, of which two patients deteriorated from H–B grade I to II, four worsened to grade III, and one deteriorated to grade IV. The remaining 36 patients (83.7%) showed no change in facial nerve function. There was no difference in H–B grade according to tumor size at the time of diagnosis or change in tumor size. Conclusion: We conducted a large-scale observational study of FNS with good facial nerve function. Our study showed that many patients maintained facial nerve function during long-term follow-up. Conservative management with regular examination and imaging can be an appropriate option for managing FNS with good facial nerve function.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)4719-4725
Number of pages7
JournalEuropean Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology
Volume281
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024 Sept

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024.

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Otorhinolaryngology

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