Bilateral Spontaneous Regression of Vestibular Schwannoma in Neurofibromatosis Type 2

World Neurosurg. 2018 May:113:195-197. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2018.02.075. Epub 2018 Feb 21.

Abstract

Background: Patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 and bilateral vestibular schwannoma (VS) are frequently treated surgically for any tumor progression, and often repeated surgery or radiation treatment is even considered. Some VS progression occurs without the development of new clinical symptoms, or it does not progress in size over many years, even in the absence of any specific treatment.

Case description: A 61-year-old male patient with neurofibromatosis type 2 presented with bilateral VS. In a long-term follow-up, both had increased in size but also showed bilateral spontaneous regression during an 11-year follow-up period with a "watch-and-wait" strategy.

Conclusions: We emphasize conservative treatment ("watch and wait") in older patients even with long-term tumor progression without significant compression-related clinical symptoms.

Keywords: Conservative management; Magnetic resonance imaging; Neurofibromatosis type 2; Spontaneous regression; Tumor volume; Vestibular schwannoma; “Watch and wait”.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neurofibromatosis 2 / complications*
  • Neurofibromatosis 2 / diagnostic imaging*
  • Neuroma, Acoustic / complications*
  • Neuroma, Acoustic / diagnostic imaging*
  • Remission, Spontaneous*
  • Watchful Waiting / methods
  • Watchful Waiting / trends*