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Intratemporal facial nerve schwannomas: multicenter experience of 80 cases

  • Otology
  • Published:
European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To provide more data on the clinical presentation and natural evolution of facial nerve schwannomas and to provide guidance for therapeutic decision making.

Methods

A retrospective case review of eighty patients diagnosed with a facial nerve schwannoma between 1990 and 2018 in ten tertiary referral centers in Europe was performed.

Patients’ demographics, symptomatology, audiometry, anatomical site (segments involved), size and whenever possible volume measurement were registered.

Results

At presentation, transient or persistent facial palsy was the most common symptom, followed by hearing loss. The schwannoma involved more than one segment in the majority of the patients with the geniculate ganglion being most commonly involved. Initial treatment consisted of a wait and scan approach in 67.5%, surgery in 30% and radiation therapy in 2.5% of the patients. Tympanic segment schwannomas caused mainly conductive hearing loss and were more prone to develop facial palsy at follow-up. Internal auditory canal or cerebellopontine angle schwannomas presented with significantly more sensorineural hearing loss.

Conclusions

Although modern imaging has improved diagnosis of this tumor, choosing the best treatment modality remains a real challenge. Based on the literature review and current findings, more insights into the clinical course and the management of facial nerve schwannomas are provided.

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Acknowledgements

We like to thank Laure Van Breda (MD), Youri Maryn (PhD) and Vincent Vander Poorten (MD, PhD) for their help in data collection and statistical advice and Robert Mills for English language editing.

Funding

Nicolas Verhaert (MD PhD) is supported by the Research Foundation Flanders.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of ENT-HNS, European Institute for Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Skull Base Surgery, Sint Augustinus Hospital, GZA, Oosterveldlaan 24, 2600, Antwerp, Belgium

    Elke Loos & Thomas Somers

  2. Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Elke Loos & Nicolas Verhaert

  3. Department of Otolaryngology, Skull Base Surgery, CHU de Bordeaux, Université de Bordeaux, 33000, Bordeaux, France

    Vincent Darrouzet

  4. Department of ENT-HNS, University Hospital of Rennes, Rennes, France

    Benoit Godey

  5. Department of ENT-HNS, Cantonal Hospital Luzern, Luzern, Switzerland

    Thomas Linder

  6. CHU Lille, Otologie et Otoneurologie, Université de Lille, Inserm U1008, Controlled Drug Delivery Systems and Biomaterials, Lille, France

    Christophe Vincent

  7. APHM, Hôpital de La Conception, Service d’oto-rhino-laryngologie et de chirurgie cervico-faciale, 147 Boulevard Baille, 13005, Marseille, France

    Jean Pierre Lavieille

  8. Department of ENT-HNS, Grenoble University Hospital, Grenoble, France

    Sébastien Schmerber

  9. Department of ENT, Head and Neck Surgery, Regional Hospital University Centre of Tours, 2, Boulevard Tonnellé, 37044, Tours Cedex 9, France

    Emmanuel Lescanne

  10. Department of ENT-HNS, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Meyer, Firenze, Italy

    Franco Trabalzini

  11. Department of Radiology, Sint Augustinus Hospital, GZA, Oosterveldlaan 24, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium

    Bert De Foer

  12. Department of Neurosurgery, Sint Augustinus Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium

    Tony Van Havenbergh

Authors
  1. Elke Loos
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  2. Nicolas Verhaert
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  3. Vincent Darrouzet
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  4. Benoit Godey
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  5. Thomas Linder
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  6. Christophe Vincent
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  7. Jean Pierre Lavieille
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  8. Sébastien Schmerber
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  9. Emmanuel Lescanne
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  10. Franco Trabalzini
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  11. Bert De Foer
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  12. Tony Van Havenbergh
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  13. Thomas Somers
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thomas Somers.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

This study was a retrospective study, no additional examinations were performed. The retrospective handling of the charts was approved by the central Ethical Committee of University Hospitals Leuven, Belgium (MP007182) and by the local committees of each center.

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Loos, E., Verhaert, N., Darrouzet, V. et al. Intratemporal facial nerve schwannomas: multicenter experience of 80 cases. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 277, 2209–2217 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-020-05960-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-020-05960-6

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